The mote and the plank...

I have noticed a disturbing trend the past few years. Here, let me show you.

Do you see it?

We get aggravated with those who disagree with us, frustrated at those who cannot seem to exhibit the slightest bit of common sense, even violently angry at those who just plain refuse to listen to us, and how do we respond? We find a way to belittle them. We find a cute picture, or even just a plain background, and pour our vitriolic feelings into the guise of wisdom.  We show them to be the gibbering fools we know them to be, and smack down their arguments by not letting them speak in the first place, and instead we condescend to them with sarcasm and wit. 

We do it relieve anger, to de-stress, to maybe make a friend laugh...

We do it to feel superior. 

Now, before some who knows me (like my Mom) pipes in here, yes, Mea Culpa.  I am guilty as charged, I have done this in the past. But lately... I just get fed up with it. Where is our respect for our fellow siblings in Christ? If you are an atheist, then where is our respect for the freedom of speech? Where is our willingness to engage in the battlefield of ideas, not as stormtroopers beating our opponents into bloody submission, but as chess players weighing the value of piece of an argument before placing it strategically to counter our fellow players pieces. Where is the ability to stand up, shake hands, and have respect for those we disagree with? When did that go away?

Our sarcasm and wit makes us feel smart, it validates us and our opinions, without us needing to face a human soul who is wounded by our words. 

When I was a teen, I surrounded myself with a group of guys who were also smart, and we knew it. Worse, we had the test scores to prove it. And because we were alienated from everyone else because we were homeschooled, we banded together and were secure in the knowledge that we would one day rule the world (or at least some portion of it) and it would be sweet, and we would finally be able to fix all the things the other idiots had broken. 

How deluded I was. 

I am happy to rule over my apartment, though it seems not my cat, and as to fixing things, well, does doing tech support count?

We must learn to still our hearts and our tongues until we have learned what we truly believe, why we believe it, how to craft an argument for it, and above all we must hold ourselves still until we have learned love and respect. All our wit and biting sarcasm will only serve to validate those who agree with us, and not one person will see it and say "What was I thinking, of course, now it all makes sense!" 

 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.   Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.  For

“Whoever desires to love life

    and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil

    and his lips from speaking deceit;

 let him turn away from evil and do good;

    let him seek peace and pursue it.

 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

    and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

1 Peter 3:8-17

Or perhaps Peters words from chapter 1 is more appropriate.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 

1 Peter 1:13-19

At the risk of aggrandizing myself, I ask you to look at how I have crafted this post. I aim to insult no one, I only hope present for your consideration a logical argument to support my statement: We must, without compromise, exhibit the love and reason Christ showed to both the ones who followed Him and the ones who mocked Him. 

Jesus, when challenged by the ones who knew they were smart and used words to validate themselves in the eyes of man, responded to question of law this way:

 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. 

And a second is like it: 

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:37-40