Sadly our default these days in our conversations, especially online, rely less on Godly wisdom and more on political opinion. Many of us who claim "The Way" have adopted and advocated positions/opinions that are the polar opposites (because we can) of those we speak to, without first carefully and prayerfully examining our Bibles and in dialogue with other Christians.
We are all overwhelmed with information and have taken on a shallow view of knowledge and information. Why even spend time deep diving into a subject when so many others have done it for us? But herein lies the huge problem. We are taking for granted that someone else's opinion or research is correct, when in fact in may not be. That is leading more and more Christians into a daily shallow relationship with their Lord.
In the City of Man we are all just one more talking head. We have allowed ourselves to be manipulated by humanistic and evil algorithms that rewards slander/belligerence/hate, and that teaches us to be slow to hear, quick to speak and become angry.
Our Lord instructs us otherwise:
James 1:19
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
But we ignore our Lord and his Holy Word as we feel we are being righteous which makes our slander, anger and judgement OK with God! After all if we are opposing Marxism or BLM or wokeness God will look past our sins and evil ways, right?
We as Christians have bought into "the other side' narrative of our current culture of bigotry and hate. WE ARE ALL THE WORST OF SINNERS, WE ARE FALLEN! That fact cant be glossed over. Our regeneration through Christ's work on the cross does not make us fallen people "perfect people". Biblical realism, our recognition of God's reality and not ours is what we must always default to as we enter conversations, assuming also we don’t see or know everything and that the other person may have some truth to present to us.
Martin Luther King once said “Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they do not know each other; they do not know each other because they cannot communicate; they cannot communicate because they are separated”
Through redemption Jesus has united us to himself and also to others in him. The team or tribe we associate with for practical or political purposes is shallow and unreliable, fickle and foolish. Christ alone is unchanging and all wise.
When we give someone our full attention, when we are patient, focused, self-forgetful we reflect God. The glory of God is seen as he pays attention to and listens to his people (1 Kings 18:29; 2 Chronicles 7:15; Psalm 34:15). He is not distracted by anything, no interruption will change his focus on each of us. God is a perfectly attentive so when we show our full attention to others, we reflect our Lord. When we look to God he does not give us half his attention, we receive his full gaze, his full grace, now and for all the days and ages to come.
Turn your eyes upon him at first rising everyday, speak to him throughout your day. Return to him at the end of the day, acknowledge him as you slip into sleep knowing he is watching over you and working in you as you slumber...