Hey Friends!

Happiest of Mondays to you 🙂

Real quick – In case you missed it last week, I started my podcast over on Patreon for my $2/month members! It’s called Oh What a Beautiful Morning! It’s a brief daily message from yours truly – a Bible verse and reflection. And they’re five minutes long, so put it on while you’re brushing your teeth and washing your face in the morning, and it’ll get your mind in the right space to start the day 🙂 Plus, I’m a pretty big goof ball, so enjoy!

And – tonight be Bachelorette Monday and all…I also am starting Bachelorette Breakdown w/ BBB — another podcast endeavor on Patreon. Because I listen to Bachelor/ette podcasts all the time, but I feel like…there are no Christian voices ever represented on there. (Well, except for Mr. Ben Higgins…hi Ben 😉 ) So I wanted to do a recap from the Jesus loving perspective. So if the Bachelor/ette is your guilty pleasure, let’s talk about it!

OK – so enough about thaaaat. I’m just genuinely excited about those two things! I’ve got my nifty little microphone and I’m having a blast. Thank you to those who have joined in the fun already! The feedback I’ve received has been pretty awesome! Yay!

Alright – now onto tonight’s post:

God has pretty impeccable timing, doesn’t He?

I mean, when you really stand back and objectively view our world, and the timing of things, it’s as though you can almost hear God having a chuckle from the Great Beyond.

I’m sure you all have heard about Robert De Niro’s spirited demonstration at The Tony Awards last night in NYC.

In case you missed it, the Hollywood elite were packed into Radio City Music Hall like haute couture’d sardines.

It was your classic red carpet event. The spray tans were on full display. Glam squads were on call. And lip filler was flowing like afterparty champagne.

And amongst all the glitz and frozen foreheads, out saunters Good Ol’ Mr. Bobby De Niro himself, looking as though he had just come in from a game of corn hole and threw on a tux.

Now, just a quick aside. My absolute favorite acting teacher was a personal friend of “Bobby.” They worked together on a hit show. Anywho – so ever since that class, I have always had a “transitive” admiration of Mr. NYC himself.

So I say that last part about the tux lovingly.

But he walks out on stage to present an award, and all of a sudden ABC cuts the live broadcast’s audio. Only to cut back in to show an absolutely roaring crowd, erupting into a standing ovation, with Bobby on stage with his arms raised up like he was freaking Muhammad Ali, cheering in victory.

Well, it turns out, that in an off-script moment, Mr. Bob Man goes, “F— Trump!” To which he was greeted by the arrogant snickers and bougie applause of self-important Hollywood actors.

I mean, frankly the arrogance was disgusting.

OK – before I say anything more about that, I’m going to close my mouth. We’re all caught up.

Button that for just a sec.

Wake up with me now, on Monday morning, the following day. I had actually just recorded my podcast, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, that previous night, unaware of the antics happening at The Tony’s.

Well, wouldn’t you know that the reading for today was The Beatitudes.

Now, I know. Whenever I hear that word, I instantly tune out, having heard the same dry sermons about that overexposed passage in the Bible about “blessing those who mourn.”

Well, as a rule, I try to never deviate from something divinely placed in my path. So I dutifully obliged and reflected on the Beatitudes.

Well, as I was reading it, one really stuck out to me:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

It’s no secret that we’re living in a militantly divided nation right now.

Friendships have been lost, judgements had, families estranged and jobs lost – all over where you find yourself on the political spectrum.

It is a fiery topic, and as you saw in last week’s post, not even a Christian blogger is immune to the rabid attacks that are seen from all sides of the political line.

Here’s the thing: I don’t fault De Niro for not liking Trump. Look – we are all entitled to our own political beliefs! You have yours. I have mine. That’s fine and dandy. But what we’re not entitled to, is throwing profanities in someone’s face for believing something different!

De Niro’s display at the Tony’s was ugly. It was just disgraceful and did nothing but pour gasoline on the flame, deepening the chasm that divides our country.

For better or for worse, he is in a position of influence, and has the incredible responsibility of being a role model. And that’s the way he chooses to behave? By searing the wound of divide we have in this country?

Peacemakers. We are called to be peacemakers.

But honestly, how are we to do that in the explosive climate in which we live?

Seriously, what can we constructively do?

Because I’ll tell you what…merely throwing a temper tantrum and shouting curse words at the opposing side isn’t going to do anything but deepen the divide.

Here’s a bright idea: how about we listen to one another.

The truth is, the right has good ideas. The left has good ideas. And people in the middle – we all have good ideas. We all have things we could learn from one another. But we’re not going to be able to know any of those ideas if all we do is shout over each other, or hurl insults back and forth.

Often, if we listen to – and seek to understand – each other there is a third idea that comes out that builds on the two opposing ideas, bringing some of the advantages of each to become an even better idea. This only happens if people are really trying to solve a problem as opposed to advancing their own specific agendas. That is the true power of diversity but that only works in a collaborative, peace-seeking culture.

The definition of peace is the absence of hostility.

De Niro’s performance last night was a demonstration of hostility. Communicating nothing but his unwillingness to listen – or even acknowledge – other ideas.

That is not going to solve anything.

And we’ve gotten to a point that politics isn’t something that we can just leave up to our congressmen and women to deal with. We need to make peace with those in our lives who believe differently than we do. And that starts with listening with an open mind.

Coming together, recognizing differences, hearing other positions, and learning how to build a bridge to move forward.

Not that he’s anything close to a shining example, but even our President is doing just that in Singapore as we speak. Another “coincidence” that is not lost on me.

God always gives us what we need to hear, when exactly we need to hear it.

Peacemakers won’t make headlines like De Niro. But they do make headway. And that’s a credit that truly does deserve an award.

This post was made possible by my wonderful sponsor, Audible. Listening to audiobooks while I cook is literally my new favorite thing. And just for you, they’re offering a Free 30-Day Trial Membership. And with this free membership, you’re going to get 2 free audiobooks! Literally. Free. It is the best deal ever. And if for some reason, you decide it’s not for you, you can cancel within those 30 days and it’s zero money out of your pocket, plus, you get to keep the 2 audiobooks. Soooo…it’s pretty much a no brainer. Plus, it’s a free and easy way to support this blog! So thank you!! 

This is the next book on my listening queue – Celebrate Recovery – is about recovery and The Beatitudes! I’ll let you know what I think 🙂

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