Humanize Everyone.

The rainbow flag... The Bible. Intolerance. Equality.
The stars-and-bars flag... Racism. Slavery. Heritage. Southern pride.
Abortion... Women's rights. Choice. Murder.
Christianity... Love. Grace. Truth. Hypocrisy. Bigotry. Ignorance.

Facebook is full of heated debates lately - much of it is over the four topics above, with harsh words flying back and forth provoking people to anger on both sides. The division and the lack of compassion makes me sad, particularly among Christians...

We should live our lives believing deeply that every person matters to God.  Every human being was created by God on purpose in His image, and every person has a unique back-story that has made them who they are and shaped and influenced how they view the world today!

We are all born sinful, so it's natural for people to find like-minded friends and categorize those who see the world differently into groups. Then it becomes easy to "dehumanize" those groups and fight for your own viewpoint, speaking what may or may not be truth without a trace of Godly love.

Republicans. Democrats. Liberals. Conservatives. Criminals. Atheists. Christians. Homosexuals... All real people with real lives and stories and hearts that matter.  It's not a hard concept to grasp, but it can be difficult to live out.  I think about it a lot in the courtroom - how easy it is to lump all criminals into one category and ignore their individuality and humanity.  
How easy and how wrong.

EVERY person wants to be heard and to be valued.  In the face of those who disagree with or belittle them, many people become louder and more prideful and aggressive in their stance, while others get quieter and shut down over the confrontation.  (I'm usually in that second category - I've become somewhat politically apathetic because I cannot stomach the brutal personal attacks and vitriolic nature of most political conversations.)  But neither one is the Biblically correct response -- we need to care enough to speak truth in love (Eph. 4:15). 

Both words are equally important there.

As a follower of Christ, you cannot love someone without valuing their story.  Without caring enough to stop and pray for them, think about where they're coming from, and speak gently.  Don't discount entire people groups or make assumptions about who they are based on very limited information. And don't deliberately hurt or offend others, even when they have deliberately offended you.

I'm not perfect at this, and I know that.  I can be very black and white in my own beliefs, but I'm thankful that I've come a long way in my level of sensitivity and grace for others.  There is a lot of truth to the phrase, "When you know better, you do better."  (And we need to remember that for everyone -- that people can change and improve, and that each of us should constantly seek God's guidance and grow in wisdom.)  I look back at my old journals where I would use "gay" or "retarded" as if they were harmless adjectives, and everything in me cringes now.  It was how the kids in my circle talked at the time.  Hearing my aunt (a Special Ed teacher) correct someone for saying that was the first time it truly occurred to me why it was wrong and how it might hurt people.  I know it was done out of ignorance and that my heart was never to offend anyone, but I certainly could have, and I am far more careful about that today...

As I should be!  We do not need to people-please, but we absolutely do need to be considerate and treat others with kindness, as we would want to be treated. Knowing that even one person might feel belittled or dehumanized by something that we're passionately supporting should be enough to make us stop and question our motives and the importance of our public stance...  

My thought is, if you're standing firm for God's Word with a heart of love for people, then STAND STRONG.  If you are standing for anything less important that is more about your own pride, then pray about letting it go!

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves... Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another... Do not be conceited. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." ~Romans 12:9-17

I was also reading recently in Samuel, where Eli sees Hannah crying and her lips are moving in prayer, but he mistakenly condemns her for being drunk...

"But Hannah answered, 'No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.'"  ~I Samuel 1:15-16

It made me laugh a little because our assumptions can be so very wrong... time and time again, I've learned it to be true that knowing someone's story changes everything.

A great number of people are troubled and hurting over things that no one knows about, and we need to care enough to show them grace.  In close relationships and with complete strangers, I want to be better at this!  To humanize everyone ...to care about individual hearts and stories, even when I will never fully know them. To acknowledge that many of the criminal defendants in our courtroom had an extremely difficult past, and to pray that each of them will have the hope necessary to work toward improving their future.  To remember the history and humanizing details that stop me from demonizing a former friend. To factor in the other person's pain and insecurities when I feel frustrated by what seems insensitive.  To be willing to listen and give people the benefit of the doubt rather than jumping to conclusions.  To be gentle, realizing that there are people on both sides of each political issue fighting for what they genuinely believe will make the world a better place.  To stay quiet and pray until I'm certain that I am speaking out of love...  To understand that all people are flawed and a complex mix of good and bad, that only God can always be trusted, and that Satan and his forces are always the real enemy!

"For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom... But the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure.  It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere."  ~James 3:15,17