Warning: This post is about politics and Christianity. No, I haven’t been hacked. This is a rare foray into the arena for me, and it will likely be a one-and-done. My audience is fellow Christians but maybe others would care about my thoughts here; maybe not. You won’t hurt my feelings if you scroll by, but if you do read, I hope you’ll take what I’m saying to heart.
(Spoiler alert: It’s not really about politics.)
First, I’ll get the Christianese out of the way. We all know it, we all know its importance, we could all cite the verses by heart. But sometimes familiarity can cause carelessness.
So.
I love humor. I love to laugh. My husband and I spend our days trying to come up with new puns, cleverness, silly song lyrics, whatever we can to make each other giggle. A lot of memes that go around Facebook are pretty damn funny. I follow a couple of pages that are nothing but funny memes. 2020 has brought a plethora of them. (I’m particularly fond of the guy at the whiteboard calling out the 2020 Disaster Bingo cards every time a new piece of breaking news comes across the CNN chyron.)

I have political opinions too. Most people don’t know what they are. I don’t feel a compunction to explain my political views to anyone, I don’t need validation of them, and I’m old enough to still believe they aren’t really anyone else’s business anyway.
What I’m saying is, I’m not anti-humor, anti-meme, or even anti-politics.
But.
My fellow Christians, please ask yourself: What’s a joke worth?
Is it worth damaging how you demonstrate Christ to the world for a laugh amongst the like-minded, but at the expense of the not-so-much-on-the-same-page?
Is it worth looking like hate in a Jesus-jacket?
If you laugh at and mock and disparage something really important to people who think/vote/care differently than you do, are you being “all things to all people so some may be saved?”
What’s a joke worth?
Newsflash: The world sees us as big freaking hypocrites already. Do we need to give them proof of it?
I’m not speaking to one side of the fence or the other. This message is for anyone who professes to be a follower of Jesus. Your political affiliation doesn’t matter. The rules don’t change depending on which political party you align with. (See above regarding who your neighbors are.)
Words matter. For proof of this, look at all the words in scripture that make up the essence and reason for our faith. Words MATTER. When you see something that makes you bristle, you have proof that words matter. They mattered to you. They maybe caused you to lash out and post an “opposing” meme so that your words could make someone else bristle. WORDS MATTER.
More Christianese:
Did you catch that last one? Every time someone hates on you for your faith and convictions YOU ARE BLESSED. You’re going to give that up?? For a cheap shot back?
What’s a joke worth?
It breaks my heart – I’m not being hyperbolic, it really is disheartening – to see fellow followers of Jesus put so much stock in and value on being right about politics. Like being right, and proving that you’re right, and yelling to the world about all of the myriad ways in which you are right, is the most important thing that this world needs today.
You know what it means to win an argument? It means someone else lost. If you make someone feel small, or unheard, or demeaned, or dismissed, or judged, but you win – is that worth it?
Who’s your neighbor?
Can’t you be right without all that? Can’t you be right, and proclaim the gospel (which is GOOD NEWS but so rarely presented as such) and love people and treat them decently and turn the other cheek and put away pride and BE the message to the world?
Doesn’t the world need more of that these days?
What’s a joke worth?
If you agree with any part of what I’m saying, I’m probably saying this for your benefit. If you disagree with what I’m saying, I’m probably thinking of you when I type this. If you’re the one typing this, I’m most definitely talking to you, specifically.
(Spoiler alert: You’re not the one typing this.)
Discuss politics. Share funny memes. Have opinions! And by all means VOTE your convictions. Don’t let anyone dissuade you from doing all of those things.
But take a beat. Ask yourself, “Is this joke worth it?” Does it include derogatory terms that, if they were directed at you, would hurt?
Here are some examples. Could you imagine Jesus saying any of this to someone?
Because I’ve heard Christians on both sides of the political spectrum use all of these terms, and worse. And I can’t imagine hearing Jesus say any of them.
Even More Christianese, But I’m Almost Done:
Here is one of my favorite verses of scripture.
“I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” (Matt 5:22)
And another:
“Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.” (2 Tim 2:23-25)
Meditate on that.
And ask yourself: “What’s a joke worth?”