Gun Control, Homosexuality and Jesus...let's talk about this on the internet.

Actually, we'd most likely agree that such significant and complex matters aren't best "talked" about via the world wide web.

So instead of adding another blog about who's right and who's wrong, I thought I'd take a moment and ask for us to consider the possibility that relationships are probably the best place to have conversations about such important issues.

Before the next public figure, or entertainer says something about Gun Control, Homosexuality or Jesus that supports your side of the fence creating another internet meltdown, I thought I'd just ask; what would it look like for us to talk about these issues in person?  In actual relationships?

Seems like any partisan rhetoric causes us to hate each other...right now, my Facebook feed is filled with my friends excitement over the Seahawks, birthday greetings or how funny Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were at the GG's last night, but I guarantee you, as soon as a celebrity or politician makes another public statement about any number of like matter hot-button issues, everyone will turn to homophobic, intolerant bigots, or Nazi loving gun control fanatics, or Obama-care socialists...and just like that, with the stroke of a few keys; we hate each other!

Why do we let that happen?  What if we invited each other to coffee or lunch instead?  Perhaps have some folks over for a cold one and some conversation so that we might navigate these issues in more helpful ways?

Full disclosure; I am a pastor and as such, I do the best I can to have a biblical world view.  I know that brings up all sorts of thoughts in your head right now, but you have a world view too...and it may be that we disagree on certain issues, but I don't think you are an ignorant nitwit because you hold such a view...we are simply viewing things from a different lens.

Eugene Petersen writes about a pastors role as helping to keep people attentive to the things of God, and I try to live that out every day, but the truth is...nobody ever changes their world view because they lost an argument.  I have found over the course of being involved in ministry for the past 20 years (volunteer or vocation), that through relationships, in the daily conversations of life and faith that such space creates an opportunity to hear someone's side.  It certainly is not in the space of the internet that allows us to so quickly demonize each other.

So how about it...instead of posting about how amazing your ideas are in the freedom of your proclaimed enlightened autonomy, let's grab lunch!