Let's Find Some Common Ground

There's too much polarization in the world today. By which I mean that people want others who are "different" to be on the opposite side of the spectrum from them with a moat full of hate in between. This is not Biblical. Jesus wanted us to love our neighbors whether they are like us or not. And to love our ENEMIES! I feel so bad about the shooting in Oak Creek, WI a few days ago. A guy walks into a Sikh temple and started randomly shooting some peace loving, open-minded worshipers just because their men wear beards and turbans. Ignorance kills. [Psalm 133: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life evermore."] Even our politicians are either so conservative or so liberal that they almost guarantee they won't work with those on the other side of the political spectrum. So who loses out? The American people! Because there's no cooperation, they can't find any middle ground. How can this be??!! The presidential candidates are both wealthy American male politicians who claim they want to "turn the country around." With that much in common, we should be able to make things happen. Feed people, house people, give people jobs and take care of the country's infrastructure. [Matthew 12:25 "Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.' "] The worst is when Christians can't get along because one group believes in infant baptism and another believes in adult baptism. Or any difference of doctrine or opinion. God does not want us to live like this. [Ephesians 4:2-3 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the UNITY of the Spirit through the bond of peace."] [Romans 15:5 "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of UNITY among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."] Any Christians spewing hate from their hearts or from their mouths are not real Christians. People who make a public scene revealing the evil in their hearts and minds defy Christ's own words. They may have a "religion" but they don't have a relationship with God. [2Peter 3:16 "His (meaning Paul's) letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."] It's time to put our faith in action and stand up to hatred, division, extremism of every sort. I'm writing this to share my sympathy with the Sikh community who lost 6 innocent people, to share my empathy with average American's who are losing ground, watching the American dream is slip out of reach while rich politicians go to Washington and get richer. I'm writing this to show support for supposed "sinners" who have been mistreated by so-called Christians for loving the "wrong" gender, or the "wrong" color or the "wrong" faith. [1Peter 4:8 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."]