Kate Bowler recently reminded us that contempt—and, I would add, even cynicism—“feels great. It’s a pain reliever.” We get to feel superior, and oh-so-right. But she also reminded us that contempt actually “makes the world smaller. It turns complicated human beings into people we can dismiss.” Please, as we go about our lives this week, and as we pray for guidance and love and even justice during this season, let us not turn to contempt. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into myself, out of sheer frustration and anger at what I’ve seen in a given historical moment, but it is vital that we remember that a human being who is wrong is still a human being, beloved by God. Their lives and their training and their experiences led them to where they are, and even if we are sure they’re wrong, we should have enough humility to be very careful about judging them.

None of which means you can’t have political opinions. I have my own, and I plan to vote in accordance with them. I have my own hopes for this election cycle. But we cannot let our politics take over our faith—we cannot let the election cycle make us into people without humility or without love.

Grace and peace,

Becky

Prayer, from Kate Bowler’s October newsletter

Blessed are you who care so much
that everything has started to feel enormous.

Every headline, urgent.
Every disagreement, personal.
Every problem, somehow yours to carry alone.

Bless you with the humility
to wonder if you might not see the whole picture.

With curiosity strong enough
to outlast contempt.

With courage to remember we belong to one another.