Civility and Respect

      The year of 2020 will go down in history not only as the year of the pandemic, but as the year of riots with no reasonable civility.  Did the pandemic and lock downs make things worse?  Maybe.  Fueled by an agenda to split our country, we have turned to no civility and no respect for each other.  Fueled by lies, the mobs have burned cities and destroyed property of their own.  Feeding the mobs lies, civility and respect of each other has been lost.  Can we bring it all back in 2021?

     I'm reading 2 Samuel.  1 Samuel ends with Saul's death on the battlefield, and 2 Samuel begins with David mourning the death of his king.  David had already been anointed the next king of Israel, but he did not rejoice at the news of Saul's death.  Saul spent most of his last years trying to kill David.  Yet, David mourned Saul's death.  Saul was anointed by God to lead Israel, and David respected Saul as the leader of Israel.  And, David mourned:

"Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:  they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword." 2 Samuel 1:11,12

     Four years ago, there were people saying that Donald Trump was not their president.  Some made threats to leave the country.  They didn't.  Then, for four years we heard Russian collusion with no proof.  Millions were spent to prove Russian collusion, but there was no proof.  He was our president.  I was taught to respect the office and the person holding the office.  In the end, President Trump survived four years of false news against him and his family while keeping most of his campaign promises.  Imagine how much more civil life would have been without the hate and lies.  There was no civility and no respect for the office of president for four years.  Now, here we are four years later with a different man going into office, but I fear there will be no civility in our country.  An old politician with years of bad luggage following him into the White House gives no hope for civility with little room for respect.

     However, as Christians, what do we do?  As I read the words of Samuel, I see our choice.  Respect for the person elected.  Many say he was elected due to election fraud.  If we can't prove it, let's not be like those who still believe in Russian collusion.  Let's move forward and be civil, respect the office and the man in office.  Pray for our president and Vice President.   Pray for our nation.  In the end, if you truly believe in God, share your faith.  Share your love through acts of kindness.  Don't let us have four more years of no civility.  Be better than those who don't believe.  Reach out and share God's love.  Bring back civility and respect to our nation.


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