First Baptist Church of Herndon

I Dare Say

Linda Soller | Jul 09, 2018

Having just celebrated the founding of our country, with its lofty ideals, could it be we are in the worst time for incivility? I dare say it is the worst I can remember. I am glad I have not grown comfortable with the way people are communicating. Unfortunately, my uncomfortableness adds a level of stress to my life I don’t need. There’s no escaping the barrage of accusations, lies, threats, and incivilities we endure daily. Oh, maybe not each of us personally, but “we” as humankind. I looked-up the word incivility, to be sure it was a word. Besides demonstrating the limited scope of my vocabulary, I would like to think it says something about my experience and my upbringing that I was not familiar with the word. 

There have always been those in the limelight we loved to hate. We can admire an athlete’s talent while despising the athlete’s personal actions. We can support a candidate for what they say they will do for our community or country and despise the way they choose to accomplish those objectives. We can empathize with the dilemma of a person or peoples while rejecting their approach to achieving the retribution they seek. We can recognize legitimate anger and frustration in the world around us without embracing the weapons of anger and frustration.

Whatever happened to the philosophy of not lowering our standards? When did “we” as humankind decide the high road no longer leads us to where we desired to go? Why do we allow those who serve at our discretion to act as though the rules don’t apply to them? How did we let positions of fame, power and influence become acceptable as positions of bullying?  As people of faith we are instructed to strive to be better. We are challenged to think before we act. We are taught to accept responsibility for our actions and inaction. We are expected to be civil, to seek the high road, to hold those who lead us accountable, and to nurture a loving heart toward all of God’s children.  Incivility is not about fame, power, politics, or nationality. I dare say, incivility finds its strength where faith is weak. 

Pray this week for our communities, our country, and our world!  :o) Linda