Editorial: By Any Other Name

In the light of the election, I wanted to share a comment on the word 'opposition.' Please understand, I am writing this before any election results have come in. I assure you it has nothing to do with any particular party, and I think this concept might be beneficial to those who employ it moving forward.

In a 'Civil' society consideration for others is a strong priority. However, that's a two-way street. What if others have a differing opinion of what is important? Does this mean they are wrong? I can hear the knee-jerk reactions, or jerk ones, “Of course they are wrong.” Not! Is anyone always right? Well, certainly I am not, but neither are you.

Have you ever noticed there are some individuals who seem to consistently criticize the efforts of others. Regardless of political party, policing efforts, social programs, or how accommodating their neighbour is, they eventually seem to find fault.

A continual 'attitude of bitterness' is really a problem for the carrier, a function of grief, pulling them down. The word 'attitude' means ones angle of approach. In terms of flight, this dictates how high someone goes. It seems, by and large, this malady has grown in recent years, bringing many down, they've become fear-mongers and naysayers, eagerly finding fault with society and our political system. Some of these individuals will proudly confess they refuse to vote, claiming it makes no difference anyway because politicians are all the same, and nothing changes. Well if no one votes, there certainly will be no opportunity for anyone to effect change. Self-fulfilling prophecy much? One is both the cause and the one who experiences that effect. Talk about being stuck in a logic loop. The perpetual op-'poser' has become so accustom to being contrary, they are no longer aware it's happening.

Well, the truth is, on many levels, people are all the same, and if we take that attitude, one could get very depressed. It is these depressed, who spread oppression upon others. Their unrelenting attitude comes from a root of severe pessimism, a filter through which everything becomes darker. They have adopted despair as an approach in life and desire others to fellowship with them in it.

The Bible says, in Hebrews 12:14 & 15, "Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up and causes you trouble, or many of you will become defiled." ISV (International Standard Version) The word “you” here means a plural you, many, or others.

It's clear from this, God desires we respond to the different perspectives of others with grace, that's favour no one deserves, but which we must extend. Without this check in our lives we can become disgruntled and become a purveyor of hurt, one word at a time.

Later in God's Word, there is a story about an individual who saw the gifts and favour working through those of influence. This person attempted to persuade them with money, to give him this same ability and power. Sounds like a backroom deal to me. The determination to remember those in need, not those in selfish desire, is a major strike against his attitude. Peter's response was swift and direct, in Acts 8:21-23a, “You have no part in this business, because your heart is not right before God. Let your heart be changed, and make prayer to God that you may have forgiveness for your evil thoughts. For I see that you are prisoned in bitter envy ..." BBE (Bible in Basic English)

So, about opposition, as far as government is concerned, those in it are supposed to be the best of us, acting on our behalf to accomplish goals we send them to Ottawa to achieve. This goes for any other governmental house. Consequently, once votes are cast, decisions are made, and parties and individuals are placed, 'opposition' should not carry the same concept at all. It should only be a different approach shared to solve the same concern. What we have seen growing in recent times is an increasing attitude of obstruction in government, not the sharing of vantage points. This lead has affected our society, and stimulated discouragement.

Have you ever talked with someone very contrary but listened long enough to their words you eventually began to see their way of thinking? Not necessarily agreeing with their positions, mind you, but you came to understand how they were processing things. If you take that one step further, you can see how some of what, they feel, they need could be achieved through your approach to things. I mean, as long as what they are focusing on is not hurtful to others, what would be wrong with that then? That is the essence of co-operation. Opposing perspectives don't necessarily have to end in a stalemate, if you dig for it.

In my lifetime, and I'm sure further back for others, I have seen 'opposition parties,' block the passage of great ideas, apparently because they didn't want the leading party to lead. Exhaustive efforts were made and vast amounts of money wasted, to prevent the fulfillment of promises, in order to make the elected government look inept. What if, instead, efforts were made by all parties, from their respective frameworks, to fulfill what the elected government had been elected upon? Then, what if, that same attitude was reciprocated, once there was a change of parties in another election. Certainly, the electorate would have hope again for government.

The opposition of bitterness is one within the perspective of the embittered and maybe the dis-ease but there is a cure; it is also in God's Word. We may not Love our government, or those in it may not Love those in other parties, but we certainly can approach things with an attitude more like this. We can simply choose to share grace, that favour no one really deserves. By any other name, we can be 'kind' to others more regularly. It doesn't matter if we get it back from them; what goes around eventually comes around: eventually, but it's a big pool out there, let's make good waves.

James echoes Jesus' words in James 2:8, saying, “But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.” NET (New English Translation)

Let's do better to the bitter, in the House and otherwise, and even do well.