Cease and Desist

This being an election year, rare is the day when the political world isn’t making headlines.  Whether the focus is on escalating dissension in DC, atrocities committed by extremists, or fingers pointing blame every which way from both sides of the aisle, resistance to being sucked into the vortex of divisiveness ought to be an Olympic sport.  The contamination of contempt is ubiquitous; living under a rock wouldn’t protect against the onslaught of polarizing rhetoric.

Certainly, politics isn’t the only source of chaos and friction challenging our collective minds and hearts.  No matter the context, misguided perceptions and faulty thinking are malignancies impacting choices we make in every aspect of our lives - from how we vote to how we treat each other to how we speak to ourselves.  Having biases and jumping to feelings-based conclusions is human nature, but that is no excuse for perpetuating toxicity at a macro or micro level.

If relational dissent was a medical condition, it would be treated with an antibiotic and symptoms would alleviate within a few days.  Though that isn’t the case, I do believe the root cause of deeply embedded contempt resides within the heart.  There’s no quick fix, but there is a prescription and it looks something like this:

Have your feelings, but know the facts
Think before you speak
Listen to learn rather than defend
Be curious
Replace righteousness with humility
Justify less, apologize more
Speak from a place of love
Give grace
Remember to breathe

Just as the body wants to rid itself of infection, hurt hearts want to mend.  You can inflame its brokenness or nurture its healing.  Such power in choice!  Be intentional with yours.