Uh oh, look out. I’ve learned how to turn my photos into memes.

Okay, in reality, I won’t be doing this often. But it’s always fun to learn new stuff — and even more fun to merge one of my favorite Dalai Lama quotes with one of my favorite photos.

Something else I don’t do often is blog about politics. And after this, I won’t be doing it again. But an incident at breakfast yesterday has had me thinking a lot about religion, politics, and kindness — and the lack thereof.

After church yesterday morning, I decided to get breakfast at a little place down the street before going to work. Seated at a table next to me was a group of older men spouting about politics. The discussion was nasty, filled with hatred, anger, aggression, and a string of obscenities that made me flinch. I’ll be the first to admit that my own vocabulary is not without salt, but their profanity-filled rants about specific people and issues physically hurt. And they didn’t even try to keep their volume at a polite level; anyone and everyone was privy to/subjected to their opinions.

Their political affiliation was evident, but (in my opinion) irrelevant, as I consider this hateful disrespect to be an epidemic on both sides of the spectrum. But what startled me about this particular group was what happened when their food arrived. They bowed their heads and loudly said grace. These same mouths went from talking about sons-of-b*&%hes to praying to the Son of God, f*bombs to “bless this food.”

I didn’t even bother to pick up my jaw.

The whole scene continues to make me indescribably sad. It sums up our political environment perfectly, however. This behavior is totally commonplace now. So many people are more concerned about “putting God back in our government” (or in our schools. Or on sheriff squad cars. Or wherever heck else God has supposedly gone missing.) than they are about putting God in their own lives. Oh my gracious, enough of the rabid, righteous indignation about whether or not “Christ” has been removed from “Christmas.” Start worrying that “Christ” has been removed from “Christian.” In which God do “we” supposedly trust? Because I’m not sure we’re trusting the same one. My God is love. The Son of my God, while walking this earth, sought out society’s outcasts. Sat with the sinners. Broke bread with them. Washed their feet. Healed their sickness. Touched the unclean. Soothed their hurts. Touched their souls. He met people were they were with love – sin, disease, warts and all. He drew people to Him because He walked humbly, gently, modeled compassion, made them want to be more like Him. He forgave. And He forgives. He didn’t curse at people, discriminate against them, insult, condemn, or threaten with harm. He loved all. And He still does. So…why…can’t…we?

Maybe – just maybe – if we concentrated on putting God back into our lives, everything else would fall into place.

 I hate politics. I hate what it is doing to people. And I’m not blogging about it again. But I needed to say this just one time.