I stand with love.

Not some romanticized thing, but the sort of love that stands for the dignity of every human being. For a world where all are safe, have decent food and water, a chance to be happy with friends and family.

For a world where we can listen to each other's stories, respect each other's God, learn from each other's cultures, share table with one another in peace.

Where the place we call "home" welcomes others as if they are family. For a universe shaped in the joy of "I-Thou," where no one is an object, but we all live in mutuality and connection.

For a world where no one has to fear because of race or religion or for whom they love.

I stand for love.

These are the things I learned in Methodist Sunday school when I was five. When we sang:

All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children
Of the world.

I took that seriously. Really seriously. Love.

Love.

Love drives out fear. Faith, hope, and love. The greatest is love.

If you are a Christian and you aren't acting out of love, go read your Bible. Go sit at the feet of Jesus. Go the freak back to Sunday school.

Love. Stand with it. For it. In it. Love.

Too many Christians go on and on about Romans 13:1. How about 1 Corinthians 13:1 instead? "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."

Nothing in one of those rallies is about love. Nothing about threats of sending people "back," demeaning people who are black or brown, groping women...NONE OF THIS IS LOVE.

This is all so wrong, so horrifyingly wrong.

Look at yourselves, look at Jesus.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth...

... It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

1 Cor. 13:4-7

Inscribe these words on your hearts. Make them the guide to your politics:

"Love does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

That's what St Paul said. What Jesus taught. The dream of God.

No political party does this, but people of faith are called to. We make less-than-ideal choices about voting all the time. But we should never go against love, purposefully, with malice and fear.