Mark 3:24-25 says, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand.” (Abraham Lincoln also says something around the lines of this in one of his famous speeches but that’s beside the point. The Bible is SO much cooler)

I firmly believe the latter statement to be true. We may have a new president and we may not like them very much but that doesn’t change the fact that JESUS IS STILL LORD. They can influence our nation’s decisions and most definitely have an effect on its future but they can’t take away our ability to interact and be nice to one another. I can’t tell you how much it saddens me to see how much this election has divided our nation against each other. There’s been a lot of hate and negativity surrounding it and the world right about now. And according to the Bible, that isn’t going to work out for us. We need to learn how to love one another again.

This digital age has made us cold and indifferent to one another. Now that we can interact with little consequences via text message, no one wants to go out and put in the effort to talk to people face to face anymore. We don’t have to deal with awkward encounters, dreadful breakups, or confrontational conversations because our phones have made it possible to do things with a press of a button and with, seemingly, no immediate consequences. But the truth is, words appear so much colder and meaningless through a screen. So please, don’t be that jerk who breaks up with someone over a text message. Don’t be that person who emits aggression through caps lock and thoughtless paragraphs picking apart people and every little thing they’ve done wrong. Also, don’t be the one to say ‘I love you’ for the very first time over text. It’s so easy to say then and so easy for the other person to think that you mean it when actually, you might not even feel that way. Be careful with your online interactions. Don’t get too attached to your phone and don’t let the cyber bullies get you down. They’re the ones hiding behind their screens for safety, their words are just letters on a screen. People are major hypocrites over social media. Don’t worry, I’m not singling anyone out, I’m including myself here. I know there have been so many times when I overanalyze a person’s photo they posted or find out that they lied about something just to make one of their posts more popular. I know I’m guilty of that as well. We’re all sinners here and it's time we come to terms with that fact, because it makes loving people a whole lot easier.

So. How do we do this whole, ‘loving people’ thing when we’re all so sinful and hard to love because of that. Well, friends, we start by looking at the Bible. When Jesus walked the Earth who did He hang out with? The people who were perfect, good, and always doing the right thing? No. He hung out with the adulterers, the drug-addicts, the murderers…He was with the sinners, and in fact, He was with the people who most considered ‘the most sinful’. And He loved them, they were His friends. So why is that so hard for us to do? Sure we may have places we disagree in, but that doesn’t mean we have to go out and hate people just because we don’t always see eye to eye. Learn to love people. Learn to love their flaws, just like Jesus did. I want to encourage you this week, to go to the outside world, to shut your computer screen and leave your phone inside and enjoy people and their company. Learn something new about a friend that you thought you knew everything about. Talk to someone you don’t normally talk to. Don’t be afraid to eat alone and just people watch or get your coffee and just sit and enjoy it. Learn to enjoy the life you’ve been given, the people who you have been blessed to know, and the country you so freely get to express yourself in.

I feel as though our generation has forgotten about the people who fought for their lives to give us the freedom to speak out about what we think is right and wrong, and that we get to so freely praise God in our country when others are persecuted for their beliefs daily. Take a look around, be grateful. Be inspired by the world and the tools that we have been given to spread the love. Use technology to encourage people on social media platforms and text your friends some words of encouragement every now and then. It’s a truly wonderful thing, loving people. Learn to love, and if you don’t know how, pray that God would teach you how. Pray to love your enemies. The devil delights in the fact that we decide to show hatred to people, it is a sign that his we are choosing to listen to him instead of God. Pray to love your friend and family member that you aren’t getting along with. Family and friends are some of the most important people in your lives and you never know when and if they’ll ever leave you. Pray to love (or like, your choice) our nation's new leader. We may have a new president and we may not be enthralled, but he is our elected authority and we need to respect him. But truly, I plead to you that when all else fails, pray.