Before the election, I wrote on Facebook, “Even if you have been called a racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe, transphobe, xenophobe, Islamophobe, misogynist, white Christian nationalist, cultist, fascist, NAZI, and every other kind of insulting pejorative, put down, and label including garbage, deplorable, bitter clinger , and anti-American (by our governor in NY), yet may you and I be gracious in losing, humble in winning and always praying.”

Facebook friend Rob replied, “I’m trying, boss, I’m trying.'”

Melanie, a seminary classmate, said, “This is my prayer”

A constant critic trolling me posted, “Don’t you think you are any of these?

“No,” I said and then asked, “Where’s the proof?”

“It’s obvious in your writings. It’s in your attitudes, beliefs. You’re manipulative,” he replied without providing examples.

Later, I groaned within upon noticing a high school classmate following my critic’s nagging comments. Knowing her political persuasion to the left, I expected the worst until I saw what she wrote: “Mel, you and I disagree on several topics but I’d never be as rude as some to take issue in a forum such as this. From all I recall from school and from reading your thoughts I know you to be a loving and thoughtful soul.”

I wrote back saying, “You are so kind…. As we disagree on the issues, I felt like what you just said about me was worth more than getting whatever A’s I got in our high school days. (The A’s weren’t many, especially in English, Math and Science, so you know how special what you wrote really means to me.)

She, in turn, responded. “Awwww thank you, Mel. That means a lot to me.”

As I was away with other pastors at a retreat of Sabbath during the election, one pastor shared how he was leading his congregation to pray not about the outcome of the election but the response to the election. I so appreciated the focus on the response he sought in prayer for his flock.

The response he sought was thankfully demonstrated in our area. A young boy in a school classroom was teased, isolated and singled out for wanting Harris to win. Another boy observing what was happening to his classmate compassionately went over to him as a friend to express sympathetic companionship in the loneliness of his loss. That boy supported Trump, but the upbringing in his home and training in the church led him to respond graciously and kindly. Sportsmanship applies to elections too.

If you knew the boy like I do, you would pray that his speech code, conduct and comportment filter up to the president-elect. That said, even after the election, I see few signs of many on the left putting the brakes on the tiresome harsh rhetoric of using the “Hitler – NAZI – fascist – racist – sexist – white supremacist – cultist – bigot” label to smear their opponents.

Facing that reality, my college classmate’s response to my original Facebook post above fits: “My only comment is not to worry what you get called but rather to look inward and to see if you are following Jesus second greatest commandment of ‘loving your neighbor as yourself.’ If you are doing that, then you should not care what you get called.” Besides giving it a “like,” add that to the reminders of being humble, gracious and praying always.