“I am the 99%”

We live in a world today when it seems that civility is going by the wayside. And in which we are tempted to believe that things are getting worse than they have been in the past. Sometimes, however, that belief is based in the conceit of the present, a thought process where we believe that the present is always better/worse, etc. than the past.

That isn’t always the case, however. For instance, U.S. Rep once beat U.S. Sen. Charles Sumner with a cane after Sumner verbally attacked Brooks’ second cousin, South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler. 

Nonetheless, Christians are faced with how to deal with each other in these days of decreasing civility. Below is an example of how one man responded to a woman identifying herself as one of the 99%

1. Go to college
2. Accumulate debt
3. Pick a stupid major
4. Graduate with useless degree
5. Play victim
6. Blame society
7. Vote Democrat pic.twitter.com/dgaM2TrTeW

— Michael Keyes (@michaelkeyes) October 13, 2018

Some Christians might think this isn’t the proper way to engage in dialogue with others. But in a world where folks are berating U.S. senators at dinner and shooting congressmen on the baseball diamond, I suggest some plain talk is welcomed. We are all sinners and all blinded in our flesh, but some more so than others, particularly unbelievers whose hearts and minds haven’t been set free from slavery to sin by the Holy Spirit. And Christ didn’t mince words when speaking to the Pharisees–or to His own disciples. 

One caveat would be that Christ had the advantage of being able to do everything perfectly. So taking into account our fallen nature, our plain talk should be dosed with extra-heavy amounts of humility and prayer.