Conviction and prayer

Tomorrow is Florida's turn in the world-round prayer vigil for General Conference.

A lot is happening at General Conference, but the most public conversation concerns questions of inclusion--especially marriage and ordination for LGBQT disciples.
So--of course--as I googled "pray for general conference 2016" (why should I reinvent the wheel if someone else has already made a beautiful guide?) there were tons of articles with varying opinions.

One article, in particular, was followed by extremely hurtful, bigoted and small-minded comments. There, in black and white social media, I watched Christians bite, sneer, and slander other Christians--and it made me angry and embarrassed to call them part of our faith family.

I sat there; horrified and furious at these people who appeared only as screennames and profile pictures... and then my computer chirped that a new e-mail had arrived. And Sojourners sent me the following conviction:

This is the message we have heard from [God] and proclaim to you, that God is light and in [God] there is no darkness at all. - 1 John 1:5

For myself, I find I become less cynical rather than more — remembering my own sins and follies; and realize that men's hearts are not often as bad as their acts, and very seldom as bad as their words. - J. R. R. Tolkien

Prayer: We rejoice in your light, O God. Help us to bask in the light of your love as it emanates from our neighbors and from the rest of your creation.

I was NOT looking fto be convicted of my own sins, but there it was. So now I'm praying for my own humility and non-judgment of others. Thanks General Conference prayer initiative. Thanks a lot.

(P.S. the e-mail came from Sojourner's 'Voice and Verse'. I definitely recommend it.)