31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
5:1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 4 includes a “this not that” sort of list - things that Gentiles did but that those who accept Christ should no longer do. Do not lie but speak truthfully to your neighbor. Do not steal, but get a job doing something useful so you can share what you earn with those in need. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. And then comes verse 31 - “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
Wow. If only we could spread that around the internet! I don’t mean “go delete all those conversations and comments that contain these things.” Rather I would pray for a miracle to instill these words in every Christian, at least. Everyone else, too, but especially the Christians who have trouble with the whole “forgive as Christ forgave you . . .walk in the way of love” thing. ‘Cause, you know, that’s our thing. “They will know we are Christians by our love” - but you really can’t feel the love when we are calling each other names. Neither the folks on the left nor the folks on the right have a monopoly on judgmental and hateful speech toward and about the others. Just sayin’
It has been my experience that people are rarely convinced to change their minds when they are being screamed at and called names. Rather, receiving that sort of treatment seems to bring out the adolescent in us and tends to make people dig in their heels. Then the”conversation” devolves into the sort of argument my mother said she walked in on one day when my sister and I were supposed to be napping - standing up in our separate cribs yelling “Yes” and “No” across the room at each other. Or the sort of thing one might hear on a playground. “You’re wrong.” “Oh yeah? Well, you’re ugly.” This sort of “conversation” is pretty much guaranteed not to go anywhere.
In his letter to the Ephesians Paul says that as Christians, we are “to put off your old self, . . . to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” We are to only say what “is helpful for building up others . . .that it may benefit those who listen.” I will be the first to admit this isn’t easy. Trying to do this consistently calls for much biting of the tongue. I am really not good at that. But if we are truly to love one another, we have to practice love and compassion instead of using the love commandment as if it is a weapon. It is not a weapon. It is a healing balm.
God of Love, we are so grateful for your compassion and forgiveness, for the grace with which you accept us even in our sinfulness. May the healing power of your love fall upon us so that we, in turn may pour out love upon each other, especially those with whom we disagree. Amen.
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