R-E-S-P-E-C-T

So I wanted to just write a few thoughts on the election..and yes this will probably be different than what most people write about when talking about the election and no I am not going to include who I'm voting for. I get on facebook and all the time, people make their status as who they're voting for or something slanderous about the opposing candidate. I just don't think it's going to help anything to put your opinion out there that boldly! It's just going to cause disagreements and harsh feelings and it can completely be avoided! It's very similar to the topic of religion..If someone asks me, sure, I could talk forever and ever about what God has done for me and how I would love for them to accept this as well but I'm NEVER EVER EVER going to push my beliefs upon someone who doesn't want to hear them or try to push them into something they don't want to do. After all, this is a big reason I feel like alot of people reject religion in the first place.

Secondly, and probably the most disturbing topic I wanted to address. Yesterday, most people have heard (considering it was broadcast all over the national news as well as local) about the effigy hanging on our very own campus here at UK. I didn't see it (thank God) but from what I hear, it was a likeness of Senator Obama hanging in a tree. Do things like this happen to past democratic candidates that are white? Not generally! I think the amount of racist feelings, especially surrounding this election, are sickening. Here's what was worse though. Another effigy of Obama was found hanging at another school here in the US, this time in Oregon..I guess this was a few weeks ago. Where was it? George Fox University, a school that the KY Kernel reports is a small CHRISTIAN school. Yep, that's right. That makes me sick! That's the type of witness some Christians want the world to see? Really? No wonder many people reject the name of Christ when this is the type of people and things supporting the idea. I actually saw this on a facebook bumper sticker once but it really had a great message. It was a quote by Ghandi that said "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike Christ." That completely explains what I'm trying to say here. Alot of times, I wonder why Jesus even allows us to be the symbol of His name to the world. Because sometimes, we fail miserably. And some apparently don't even think about their witness at all. I'm not perfect by any standards, but I feel like I know enough about simple right and wrong to know that these acts are WRONG!

So, I know many people will probably disagree with me on this. There's ALOT of hate in our world today. And this just really gets me fired up so this might sound more harsh than I mean it to. But, I just feel like...No matter who you're going to vote for next week, can't we show simple signs of human kindness instead of resorting to savagery? As humans, we all deserve a kind of simple respect. And as Christians, we are called to something even higher. Will we respond to the calling?