I’ve thought, from time to time, about audience. About the remarkable potential of the internet to talk to millions and millions of people.

But most of us don’t talk to millions of people. We talk to the people who are around us. In the case of this blog, that’s less than 500 people.

I’ve looked some of you in the face, others of you in the heart, still others in the mind. We’ve spent time adjacent to each other, me writing, you then reading.

Here’s my plea to you today, on a day when anxiety in the US is climbing.

Be kind to each other.

I understand different perspectives, and I understand deep emotions running underneath those perspectives. My degrees are all in communication, analyzing and understanding why people make choices of words and images and ideas in order to help other people understand or to react or to respond.

I also understand that Jesus is remarkably clear about loving your enemies and praying for those who despitefully use you. Peter, notable for his intensity, talks about responding to people with gentleness and respect. Paul invites us to get dressed in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

I can do nothing about the discourse from the big people. I can do nothing about imaginary stories spread by imaginary people.

I am troubled, however, when people I know share things that mock other people. When we share ideas that may or may not be true. When we lend our credibility to algorithms. When we attempt to speak on God’s behalf about the nature of someone’s relationship with God based on actions or lack of actions. And we do it in public. For laughs. For reactions.

For years, I have refrained from stating in public or private political choices. I’ve done so because I am a poor enough storyteller about following Jesus. I’ve not wanted some political position to distract from that.

Ironically, that reticence has been most troubling to church people.

“But what about this? Or that?”

I’m not changing my commitment.

But I’m asking us to repent of unkindness, to acknowledge God’s invitation to humility.

You and me.