Praying for John McCain

As I watch the wide range of reactions to the passing of John McCain, it seems like a good idea to remind people that we ought to function on three levels in a case like this…

Politically – Maybe you loved McCain and his maverick ways, maybe you were big on amnesty, or loved his support for the surge in Iraq when few thought it would succeed…  Whatever your political feelings are about McCain, NOW IS NOT THE TIME…  If you disliked his politics, this isn’t the time, and if you loved his politics, it isn’t fair to start a political debate where anyone who disagrees with you out loud is shamed for saying bad things at a time like this.  This isn’t the time for politics, period…

Personally – Maybe you thought he was great, you appreciated his service, you honored his POW sacrifices, etc.  Maybe you thought he was mean or vindictive to those who opposed him, maybe you still feel for his first wife and kids, whatever…  NOW IS NOT THE TIME if you have bad things to say…  If you have good things to say about the man, then you should…  For everyone else, it is about being decent and respectful and it is about the kind of person you are, no matter what kind of person you thought McCain was…  At some point in time we will all pass, so how will you want that experience to be for your children and surviving family members?  Would you want them to enjoy moments of peace and goodness, or be interrupted by negative attacks?

As a Christian – Every one of us, no matter our feelings about Senator McCain, ought to be praying for his family at this difficult time, and remember that that family includes a remarkable lady, Roberta McCain, his mother, who is 106 years old and still going strong!  It is never easy for a parent to bury a child even if that child was almost 82 years old…  More than that, we ought to be praying for McCain himself, because every Christian is hopeful that everyone, regardless of their circumstances or history, will find their way to salvation and to the Lord.  It doesn’t matter what your disagreements are with someone, it doesn’t matter what crimes a person has committed, if we’re being good Christians, then our prayers are that Senator McCain found peace with his soul cleansed of sin through the forgiveness of our Lord, and that he is on his way to heaven.

If you’re hoping or praying for anything else, then you’re doing it wrong…