Slight soap box rant ahead:
Two mornings ago, I'm exiting the local library after taking the baby to Story Hour. I am approached by a "professional" petitioner, her words not mine, trying to get her candidate on the ballot for Governor. I ask for more info about the candidate, she advises me to check out the website. Then tries to size me up. Are you a conservative Christian? she asks. I'm a Christian, but are you asking socially or fiscally conservative?, I reply. She chuckles and tells me she has a relative that says the same. She also mentions she's a minister. She then tells me about a relative in the armed services who works with Syrian refugees and how the Christians there have to pay a daily tax if they don't convert to Islam or they'll be killed. She shares how scared she is that "those Muslims" want to take over the country. She knows that we don't suffer persecution like other parts of the world, but is afraid that it's coming.
I tell her that I respectfully agree to disagree with her. One of my best friends is a Muslim and he has no desire to take over the country. I also remind her that the Bible pretty much guarantees that believers will suffer persecution and the Book of Revelation pretty much guarantees it in the end days. I tell her that as Christians, it's about how we handle these difficulties, not how we avoid them, that make the difference. Succinctly put: Grace and strength in the face of adversity.
I go home and look up the candidate. The website has a lot of "this I believe", which I also believe, but very little how they're going to make a difference. With the field for Governor of Missouri saturated, I didn't see how they would be any different from those currently in office or those currently running on either party platform.
Fast forward to today:After meeting a friend for breakfast, then stopping by summer school to lunch with my eldest, then running to the grocery store with a baby whose nap time had been all but completely ignored; who should I run into? Same lady. Same request. Hands full of groceries, cranky baby in stroller. She goes on to tell me how she was at another library yesterday and it was crazy busy. She should've had her kids there with her to see it. Not once did she offer to help, not once did she ask if I was okay. Once she realized I wasn't going to sign (maybe because my hands were literally full), she was off to the next person.
I appreciate her passion and her zeal for her cause BUT!
As a voter, please engage me. Find out what I value. Don't lump me in some preconceived category because I go to church, or mosque, or synagogue or nowhere at all but the peace and sanctity of my bed. Don't ask questions, when you're not going to pursue answers. Don't send me to a website, when you have the opportunity to stump for the candidate that YOU want on the ballot so badly. If I'm not worth your time, then you're not worth my vote. PERIOD!
As a Christian, who is trying to live a Godly life, and falls short, everyday. Don't speak badly of people. Especially people, you don't know, haven't met, nor listened to their life stories. They are not "those Muslims". They are people, just like you and I, who believe differently. As a matter of fact, I wasn't born a believer in Christ. And I have a sneaking suspicion that neither were you.
As a human being, when you see someone struggling, offer help. Just about every religious organization and institution has that as a by-law.
After I got the groceries in the car, returned the cart, and got the baby in, I looked for her to share these "soft-skill" points with her, but I couldn't find her. Who knows if I'll see her again, but I post this as a reminder to myself.
I tell her that I respectfully agree to disagree with her. One of my best friends is a Muslim and he has no desire to take over the country. I also remind her that the Bible pretty much guarantees that believers will suffer persecution and the Book of Revelation pretty much guarantees it in the end days. I tell her that as Christians, it's about how we handle these difficulties, not how we avoid them, that make the difference. Succinctly put: Grace and strength in the face of adversity.
I go home and look up the candidate. The website has a lot of "this I believe", which I also believe, but very little how they're going to make a difference. With the field for Governor of Missouri saturated, I didn't see how they would be any different from those currently in office or those currently running on either party platform.
Fast forward to today:After meeting a friend for breakfast, then stopping by summer school to lunch with my eldest, then running to the grocery store with a baby whose nap time had been all but completely ignored; who should I run into? Same lady. Same request. Hands full of groceries, cranky baby in stroller. She goes on to tell me how she was at another library yesterday and it was crazy busy. She should've had her kids there with her to see it. Not once did she offer to help, not once did she ask if I was okay. Once she realized I wasn't going to sign (maybe because my hands were literally full), she was off to the next person.
I appreciate her passion and her zeal for her cause BUT!
As a voter, please engage me. Find out what I value. Don't lump me in some preconceived category because I go to church, or mosque, or synagogue or nowhere at all but the peace and sanctity of my bed. Don't ask questions, when you're not going to pursue answers. Don't send me to a website, when you have the opportunity to stump for the candidate that YOU want on the ballot so badly. If I'm not worth your time, then you're not worth my vote. PERIOD!
As a Christian, who is trying to live a Godly life, and falls short, everyday. Don't speak badly of people. Especially people, you don't know, haven't met, nor listened to their life stories. They are not "those Muslims". They are people, just like you and I, who believe differently. As a matter of fact, I wasn't born a believer in Christ. And I have a sneaking suspicion that neither were you.
As a human being, when you see someone struggling, offer help. Just about every religious organization and institution has that as a by-law.
After I got the groceries in the car, returned the cart, and got the baby in, I looked for her to share these "soft-skill" points with her, but I couldn't find her. Who knows if I'll see her again, but I post this as a reminder to myself.
No comments:
Post a Comment