Watching the news recently, it’s been easy to forget that Christians are clearly instructed to love others. The Christians we see on TV instead seem to be full of hate, violence, arrogance, and judgment. They are clearly ‘against’ many things, but not ‘for’ many things.
The problem is when we mix faith and politics. When we combine the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of this world. When we interpret the Bible through the lens of our own values, rather than letting it inform our values first.
Our religion is not a weapon to be drawn. Or a picket to be waved.
A promotion? A new car? Recently engaged? Cute baby photos everywhere?
Envy keeps tabs on people’s lives and our happiness invariably fluctuates depending on what’s happening to them. As I write this, I see the irony in envy: our happiness depends on people’s (un)happiness.
Envy comes in two stages. The first stage is when you want what other people have. It tugs at your heart to put yourself in their shoes. To imagine what it’d be like to have what they have, to live the life that they live, to post pictures of what they post on social media.