Liberals for the Win

When it comes to public figures and disagreements, I must say that any loud liberal would fit the bill for me. Before you label me with extremists, I will quickly say I do not completely write off a loud liberal just because of his/her stance. I have dear friends who vehemently disagree with me on certain political issues. One friend in particular was a coworker who knew where I stood on certain issues, yet we had a mutual respect and admiration for each other. He is heavily involved in the community and truly wants to make a difference. I can hold him in high regard without holding his views in high regard.

I know I will mention this man’s name, and some of you will want to vomit. Dr. Jerry Falwell was well known for his strong conservative views. I remember hearing him preach the year before he died. In his message, he mentioned how he had Senator Ted Kennedy to speak at Liberty University. The two could not be more opposite politically. They would debate each other to the max. After the heated debate was over, Dr. Falwell would say, “Now let’s go out to eat!” So they would go out to eat like the debate never happened.

While I am not a Falwell worshiper (despite my degrees from Liberty), I appreciate that Dr. Falwell could still treat someone with dignity despite his liberal views. At the end of the day, I can have the common decency to respect someone with opposing views. Even if I find the views grotesque, I can care about a person enough not to write him off.

May this serve as a lesson for us all. God calls us to love people, even if they don’t agree with us. If we only loved those we completely agree with, we may never love anyone.