What happens in Vegas…

…stays in Vegas. Yup. You’ve heard the phrase; hey, you may even have used it.

 It is, of course, a very fruitful marketing ploy by the tourist people at the entertainment capital of Nevada. It’s meaning is clear … Vegas is a place where you can behave badly and no one will know! “Are you a decent, honest, sober, faithful, wise, disciplined person with a responsible job, a happy family life, and a strong reputation in the community? Well, come to Vegas, let your hair down, behave in ways that you can’t at home, and no one will ever find out. Go on. You know you want to!”

When it comes to the subject of politics and politicians, many Christians act as if they’re in Vegas. Good, moral people suddenly spew aggression and spite and think no one notices. Christians who would never usually use foul language, summon up vile and offensive rhetoric and believe it’s OK because the object of their venom is a politician. Folks who would never lie about anything else set their pants on fire when the object is a politician or political party. I’ve seen gentle, godly people act with a depth of malice I’d never thought them capable of.

But this political Vegas is a mirage in the desert. When someone vents on Facebook, we all see. When they mouth off their hatred of the other party, we all notice. There’s no hiding from Jekyll and Hyde. No one gets a pass to behave sinfully because the context is politics.

Last Saturday’s catastrophic attempted assassination of Mr. Trump confirmed what we already knew. There’s too much hate, too much ugly rhetoric, and too much fear in US politics. Everyone believes this. Yet, everyone would also say that the other side are to blame – they are the ones who started it, or made it worse, or took it to appalling new extremes. That’s how messed up we are. We all agree there’s a problem, but no one will take responsibility for playing a part in its creation or growth.

Here’s where we Christians must lead our nation, urged by our Old Testament friend, Isaiah. “Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips,” he said. (Isaiah 6:5) Before I can blame others I MUST look at myself. It is normal folks like us who keep the polarization alive and strengthen the chains of animosity. Sure, “We live among a people of unclean lips”, but my own uncleanness comes first. Isaiah looks at himself before he points at the country.

Here’s a pattern for our response to our national, multi-layered trauma. First, we consider our own errors and wrongs. At this moment we are all called to think of how we may have contributed to our climate of violent tribalism:

• Have I unintentionally added to the flames by thoughtless words?
• Have I reacted rashly to something I read or heard, and hurt or offended someone?
• Have I allowed our differences in politics to distance me from members of my family?
• What can I now do about it?

Let us ask ourselves these and similar questions with as much seriousness and urgency as we are asking them of other people. I am a person of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. That truth must not stay in Vegas.