Demonizing

Yesterday I wrestled a bit with the idea of possession. Today I want to look at a related process: demonizing.

Last week I got an e-mail from an old friend. It was a series of photos of Barak Obama and each picture was accompanied by a heartflelt thank you for Obama's smile, his care for the poor, his stand for the underclass, etc., etc. What struck me is how differently the President is portrayed in other e-mails which are sent to me.

Messiah. Anti-Christ. Help to Poor. Communist. Caring Family Man. Cold, arrogant, withdrawn. The contrasts go on and on. Yet what really hit me, hard, was how sincere the people who send me these disparate e-mails are. And in many cases, the opposing views are held by people who are dear to me.

In my Training/Quality Management days (late 90's) we always harped on the importance of data and the danger of 'perceptions.' We all tend to see the world in a way that reinforces are preconceived ideas. That is why marriage counseling is so difficult. It is why parent-child conflict is so difficult. It is why church fights are so difficult. Few of us are able to see the world through the eyes of another. We tend to react to the others, usually to defend something (a value, a position, maybe ourselves) and the conflicts tend to grow or fester.

The anger in the Republican primary (expressed in negative ads and pretty obvious disdain between a couple of candidates) is nothing compared to the pending show down in the actual election. Our divisions are manifest daily (and as a side note looking at the American revolution, or the Civil War, or most any time period it is clear that division and neagtivity are neither new nor worse). The issue is how to engage one another without demonizing? On a national level, a local level, in the church, in our families? Perhaps we Christians need to take more seriously the sorry state of things and pray more fervently for the coming of the Prince of Peace. Perhaps rather than add to the rancor we need to revision our vocation as repentant sinners and prayer intercessors. Which is a good reason for me to stop typing and start praying!