From Heartsick to Hopeful

I'm feeling heartsick.  The feeling has overwhelmed me over the last few days.  I'm heartsick over the loss of civility and kindness that we offer to one another.  In recent days, I've seen posts or heard in person the following:

• A Christian man call a female celebrity (whom he opposes politically) a "Stupid C__t".
• A woman who abhors the bullying tactics of our president, shame and ridicule another woman for enjoying the inaugural balls.
• The negative spin of observers to say that a 10-year old boy, who was playful and innocent at his father's inauguration, is part of the family's "marketing machine".
• Repeated denials that a disabled man was mocked -- even though we've all seen the video.
• One first lady is called ugly and the other is labeled stupid.
• Peaceful protesters are called cry babies who are wasting their time and money.
• Republicans are dubbed racists while democrats are called morons.
• The list goes on....

Where has our civility and kindness gone?  I'm not talking about spirited discourse of ideas and views -- these are good and necessary.  I'm talking about name calling, denial of truth, bullying, etc. Each side sees the sins of the other other side but refuses to see their own. Hypocrisy runs deep.  

I confess, I too am a hypocrite.  I stand in the middle and judge and ridicule those on the far left and on the far right. I am asking for civility that I too have withheld.  In my sinful superiority, I am no different than those on the list above.

But, I long for something different.  

I long to be a person who listens to your thoughts and opinions without defensiveness.  

I long to be with others who listen to one another's thoughts and opinions without defensiveness.

I long to be a person who seeks to understand your point of view.

I long to be with others who seek to understand one another's points of view.

I long to be a person who thinks the best of you -- even when I disagree with you.

I long to be with others who think the best of one another -- even when they disagree.

I long to be a person who sees you as a child of God.

I long to be with others who see one another as children of God.

I long to be a person who lives with hope.

I long to be with others who live with hope too.

I can't promise I'll be perfect, but I commit to trying to be the person that I long for me and you to be.