Labels: When they work ... and when they don't.

I've been thinking about labels -- how they can collectively define us and how they can be used to divide us. I've come to the conclusion that we use them far too often to divide us and far too seldom to unite us.

Here in the United States, we are Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, whites and non-whites, rich and poor, Christian and non-Christian.
When did we stop just being Americans?
We worry more about what divides us than about the things that unite us. It's no wonder there is so much hate and fear in our country.

Unfortunately, the good people (Where's the sarcasm font when you need it?) of the church are no better and set a poor example for the rest of us. Evangelicals have labeled all democrats as baby killers so no true christian (lower case intentional) would ever vote for one. Nor should christians support the rights of the LGBTQ+ community because -- well, labels. And they're not us, right?
Christians have so many different ideas on how to follow God that we have hundreds of different denominations of Christianity. Some are so different that they are called cults by other denominations!

When the purpose of the church is to guard its territory/community/membership rather than share the love of God, it's easy to be afraid of what other sinners might bring to the table. When we are all interested in the things that divide us rather than the grace of God, we tend to point out the specks in the eyes of others rather than removing the beam in our own eyes and just sharing the love of God.
When the purpose of the church is to gain political power or influence then all heavenly bets are off and it is nothing more than a special interest lobby group.

Labels aren't always bad. Labels can be used to show the diversity of an organization, church or political party. They can show how much or how little it reflects the community around it or the people it represents.
Recently, I realized that I have been so very guilty of using labels to divide rather than to unite.

I was thinking about some of the people that we've been sharing life with lately -- people we've been worshiping with, serving with, socializing with. A year ago, these people would not have been in my social circle and certainly not in my church community. I caught myself thinking of them with the old, divisive labels -- a couple of same gender couples, a single gay man, a lesbian woman, a recovering alcoholic. While those label might fit, the simple truth is we are all just people that are trying to navigate life and follow the simple teachings of Jesus to love God and love one another.
In spite of the common ground of desiring to follow Jesus, I have a feeling that most of my old circle of friends would not approve of my new friends.

I'm going to make an effort to be more careful about using labels. I'm also going to try to remember that labels are a pretty poor way to define people. I think that most people would label me as a liberal, but that doesn't really work for me.
I'd say that I am fiscally conservative, morally conservative, politically moderate, and socially liberal. Though I tend to vote democratic (now), I don't generally agree with the extreme left and can often find good with moderate republican ideas (although moderates from either side are a rare find).

Please forgive me when I mess up. I tend to be a slow learner.

John <><