What Happened to Tolerance?

The 2016 Presidential election will go down as one of the ugliest in our country's history. Honestly, I hope it is the ugliest and that we never see those that would seek the highest office in the land sink to this level again. The fact that they brought each of us with them in their own way and divided us as no external enemy every could speaks volumes to where we have come as a country.

For many years now, our society has preached tolerance and relativism – that what is right or wrong is up to each individual and that no one should have the right to get in the way of that personal freedom.

It sounds great on paper (and social media), but the same people preaching tolerance are showing their true beliefs through their words and actions in response to Donald Trump's win – or should I say Hillary Clinton's loss.

I woke up this morning and saw comments like “I don't know what I'm going to tell my children” and “How am I supposed to make it through today, much less the next four years?”

A lot of respect has been lost in this election cycle. Friendships and marriages have ended and we've further divided ourselves based on party affiliation. I'm guilty of the same thing. But what happened to tolerance in all this? What happened to live and let live?

The reality isn't that other thoughts and mindsets have been tolerated, it's that most people have simply driven those with a different viewpoint away from them. In this day and age, it's as simple as clicking “Unfriend” or “Unfollow”.

What's being exposed is not a reality of tolerance, but a realization that some things really do matter deeply. The disappointment many are feeling from the election results mirror the same disappointment others felt as their values have been eroded away in favor of “tolerance”. But it wasn't really tolerance, it was just pushing a different set of values under the guise of making it sound like something healthy.

We're all guilty of it on some level - myself included with a few scars to serve as a reminder of the compromises I've made.

So can we finally agree that tolerance isn't what the issue really is? Can we finally come to terms with the fact that people are flawed by nature and have different ideas of what is best for themselves, their families, and their country? Can we finally admit that there are social issues that we carry a deep level of hope in?

Now that many people are feeling deep disappointment because what they deeply believe and hope in isn't coming to fruition like the progressive successes of the past several years, maybe we can agree that tolerance isn't actually a good thing.

After all, wouldn't tolerance allow Trump supporters to revel in his victory, Johnson supporters to weigh their successes, and Clinton supporters to grieve openly all without continuing the attacks on each other?

Tolerance isn't love. At best it's indifference and at worst it's hatred. Tolerance ignores what is going on or idly sits by and allows things to happen without interference. Tolerance doesn't stop someone from experimenting with drugs, having sex with a minor, or voting for their chosen candidate without being swayed by the belief of others.

I think we can finally agree that tolerance wasn't really the word we were looking for. But the opposite of tolerance isn't intolerance. The opposite of tolerance is mercy.

God is not a tolerant God. As Creator of the universe, he designed each of us and has the right to decide what is right and wrong and how things should be on his earth – absolutely and with no input whatsoever from us.

But God isn't tolerant. God can't tolerate sin by his perfect and holy nature, but his response to it isn't intolerance – it was, and is, mercy.

We have each rebelled and chosen a path that separates us from him. The payment for our sin demands death – our death. There's not a single sin that deserves less. God doesn't strike us down the first time we step out line, punch our sister, or give a dirty look to our teacher.

He doesn't turn us to a pile of ash when we have an affair, cheat on our taxes, sell drugs, or kill someone when we take the wheel after drinking.

Because God is fully just and can't tolerate sin, it must be paid for and that's where Jesus comes into play. His death following a perfectly sinless life paid the penalty for anyone who will simply repent of their sin and claim the gift of grace and mercy offered at the cross.

God is merciful and gives us more than our fair share of opportunities to repent and turn away from our rebellion. He waits with open arms for us to simply turn around and take the first step back home – and then he runs to meet us rather than waiting with folded arms while we try to explain our actions away.

So while you digest the results of this incredibly heated election whichever way it went for you, remember it's okay if you're not feeling tolerant of what others think and believe politically. What we believe is incredibly important to each of us. Also keep in mind that responding with grace and mercy brings people together while intolerance – true intolerance – will only deepen the wounds and the divide.

As you process what is going on, try to stop looking at the other side of the isle as the problem and look to yourself. Reflect on what you believe, allow yourself to grieve, rejoice, or simply breathe a sigh of relief that it's finally over. Measure your response and consider how you might extend grace and mercy to those who think like you do and those that don't. Regardless of what you hoped for, you'll be part of the solution that finally begins to heal wounds and bring people back together.