A Follower of Jesus, Not Your Politics

A Follower of Jesus, period. 

I'm reading a lot of articles lately about religion, Christianity and faith. While the words of politicians are not used, it is clear it is all about politics.
I hear and read people saying, 'I will not live with hate.'
Or, 'I will not be that kind of Christian.'

I find that no matter what I am reading there seems to be an enormous amount of judgment going on. And, I am afraid, that this is pushing us into a place where churches, ministers, and maybe even denominations are going to just go down party lines.

I am concerned that people who voted differently are beginning to feel uncomfortable and not welcome in their home church.

This, dear friends out there, is so WRONG!
This is not how we live as Christians in this world.

I really, really, really don't care who you voted for.
And I am not going to judge your faith in Christ or the truth of your religion by your vote.

I am frankly getting pretty tired of the self righteous religious ideal that only one kind of personal thinking is right.
I am worried about those who are putting themselves on a pedestal of true faith because they did not vote for Trump.

Well, I am sorry to all my dear friends who feel they are the true Christian as they smugly write their blogs about what a 'real Christian' looks like.

Just your action of writing blogs shows your judgment against the 'other'. And I am doing the same as I call you out! You see I'm a judger too, whether I want to be or not. But it has to STOP! ALL of US!

We are NOT better than those who think and vote different from us.
We are being cruel in our judgment.
We are acting bitter in our disdain.
We are trying to make ourselves feel better because we are 'not like them'.
Scripture teaches us to 'Remove the log from our own eye before we remove the speck from the other.'

SO, how do we get back to loving each other in the pews?

How do we stop writing articles that supports pointing fingers at who is the better Christian?

How do we get back into the pew and the pulpit and start listening to the words of Jesus?

Jesus has called us to love one another, and if Jesus had heard the phrase he would have used it-'warts and all!'

Come on folks on both sides-just cut it out! 

Not one of us is a better Jesus follower than the other.
So stop making Jesus a political icon for our own gain.

I am frankly exhausted with the rhetoric on both sides. I want to get back to the things that matter most.
I want all of us to get over ourselves.
Seriously, we have all acted foolishly, and I mean all of us.

I want to be showing grace to each member of my congregation and not even know or care where they stand in politics,

I want to care about their need for love, mercy, grace, and community;
their need for Jesus, their need for the church.
I want to show I am a follower of Jesus by making sure everyone,
and I mean EVERYONE, feels welcome at church.

I am a follower of Jesus because its my job to listen to the concerns of all God's people
 and believe me no matter what your politics are,
you each have many of the same worries.

I want to show I am a follower of Jesus; 

because I can hold the hand of the sick or the dying.

I can read and tell stories to the children.

I can sup with the widow or the lonely.

It's time to stop using Jesus as the political puppet to make each person feel justified in their political choices.
It's time to just stop, pray, hear the whisper of mercy, and receive the gift of grace.

So, let's do ourselves a favor.
Let's get on with simply living and simply loving in Christ, for Christ, and with Christ.