Love beyond the Label

All the recent coverage of the election in America has got me thinking...are we only ever reduced to a label? Republican, Democrat, Gay, Straight...?  How often do we judge or make judgements based on someone's clothes or status or the car they drive?  The outcry from some people in America about the re-election of Obama has left me bewildered.  I am genuinely shocked that so many of them, some people I respect and thought I shared values with, have vehemently rejected him as President of their country.  Being British one might say it's not our right to comment on American politics but it actually has a huge impact on the rest of the world.  And to the rest of the world Obama comes across as an inspiring leader, great orator and genuinely nice man.  But it seems that some people just see the label 'Democrat'.  I am most shocked by Christians who refuse to look beyond this label.  I know that many of his policies appear liberal and of course policies can dictate the future of a country, except it's about the man as well.  Where is the love and support for Obama?  I don't believe that by allowing gay couples to marry more people will be gay, and I don't believe that having more relaxed abortion laws will lead to more abortions.  The point is that gay couples are marrying and women are having abortions already.  The question is are we there to love them through it?  Who's there to love the father out of work, struggling to feed his family, the abused mother who wants to protect her children.  Isn't it the job of politicians, and more importantly perhaps the public, to focus on policies that focus on these issues, caring for the general population rather than making moral judgements on a group of people who fall under a 'label'.  

 My husband asked me last night what I would stand for if I were to go into politics.  I had to think very hard.  I mentioned the clichés like justice and freedom from oppression but as I got more passionate I realised that lying under all of my desires for change, pure and simply, was love.  Love is what drives us to care, it's what drives us to nurture and it compels us to help.  I'm not saying others are needy, or should be pitied if they need help.  After all, aren't we all lacking in some things?!  But if love is the driving factor then your motives should always be pure and ultimately, good.  The problem is that many people differ in their reality of good.  Though, if we still love those who differ from us we are being the ultimate witness in practising what we preach.  Isn't it, as citizens, our duty to help our neighbour and be mindful of people in need?  As I've said already the person in need will always be somebody different....and wouldn't it be nice to know that when it's you then someone else will be there ready to love you?  In response to my 'manifesto' my husband said "that's a bit ambitious"!   But shouldn't we want to be ambitious if we are to change the world, or more imminently our town, and even more personally, ourselves?  I'd much rather know that my policies of dealing with people come from a place of love, rather than arguing about when the local council will collect my bin over Christmas.

 So, whether Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Labour, gay or straight, Christian or atheist, is it too much to ask that we 'just' love?  Take an extra minute to look beyond the label today.  Don't judge before acting.  Start always with LOVE.

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