Pray for those who persecute you

 So, it is Sunday, and Pastor Michael Brown has sermon at Townhall.com that I think hits the nail on the head. Pastor Brown has titled his sermon Seven Steps to Help Unite the Church of America. Note though, that Pastor Brown is not Father Brown, and this has nothing to do with Catholicism and uniting behind the Catholic church, though one can do worse.

Brown goes through the many ways politics and social situations have divided us. He does not point out that some of this was deliberate and intentional; to divide anc conquer.  Rather, Brown advises us to go around that deliberate tactic.  Instead of arguing past each other, we should listen sincerely to each other. There is no reason to give up your personal convictions, but instead to attempt to understand. I know that I have been often aggressive in pointing out my own convictions and denigrating of the other side. We should all be more calm, while standing where we do out of reasoned conviction, not merely because of emotion. Only mankind can reason, but reason without the guidance of God leads to tyranny. Our only hope of freedom comes when we follow God's word.

Which leads to Brown's seven steps. The first is to recognize that God desires unity. And if we are serving Him, then we should desire it our selves. We should strive to be as unified as humanly possible. For this, Brown provides some very useful rules for engaging others. Indeed, that is most of the rest of his Seven Steps. But it is the final one that is most important, and it is the one I have the most difficulty doing.

Brown says we should pray for those with whom we disagree. Brown thinks that it changes both ourselves and the others as well. Hmmm. Our God is Almighty, and can do anything, so he could indeed change peoples minds and hearts. I accuse others of believing in a God who is too small. Perhaps I have also believed in a God who is too small. I think it is a good practice that I will incorporate in my prayer life in the future.