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FAITH: Love your political enemies too

A column from Castlegar pastor Robin Pengelly
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Robin Pengelly is the pastor of Castlegar United Church.

I find election season depressing. I get weary of hearing politicians putting each other down instead of telling voters what they stand for. I get weary of half-truths and downright lies becoming commonplace. And I get really tired of Canadians being pitted against one another as if the election were some kind of war in which insults and demonizing your neighbour becomes acceptable, and civility towards one another seems lost. 

My neighbours might have radically different political views from me, perhaps even views I find morally reprehensible. I accept that, but try not to be baited into hatred. Jesus was pretty clear on how to treat people you disagree with.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love only those who love you, what reward do you have?” (Matthew 5:43-46)

It's hard not to fall into the trap of bad mouthing political opponents and making fun of candidates you disagree with. But one can criticize a policy without attacking an individual. A political joke may seem funny on the surface, but when it denigrates the humanity of another person, even a person who routinely attacks other people, it runs contrary to the command to love others, including those considered “the enemy.”

It is also important to define your political stance by who you are and what you believe to be right, rather than who you dislike. I once went to listen to a politician who I was interested in learning more about. In her speech, she said her opponent's name so many times, I began to think she was campaigning for him! I never heard what she stood for and so couldn't vote for her.

Personally, my politics are grounded in my faith as a follower of Jesus. There is no one political party that can command my loyalty. How does a candidate or party measure up to what Jesus said about feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, helping the poor, and caring for the sick? (Matthew 25:34-40) These are the important questions for me. How will you decide?