Autumn officially began a few weeks ago and it’s my favorite time of year. I love the cool mornings, the changing leaves, and digging out sweaters and sweatshirts to hide the early arrival of my “winter layers.”

While it used to be a non-confrontational topic, even weather is now up for debate. Are those few days of unseasonal warm weather part of a bigger trend or a one-off event? Are wildfires man-made or mother nature resetting itself? Will the fashion police really tackle you to the sidewalk if you wear white after Labor Day? 

Everything can be turned into a hot topic from whether to hold a high school dance to taking a vacation. It seems like everyone has differing views and there are more avenues than ever to share those views.

But at the end of the day, we need to remember that we have more in common than we have differences. And if you are wondering whether you should say something, whether you post something, whether you should share your viewpoint, answer this simple question: Are you acting out of love or out of righteousness?

We all love to be right. Personally, I don’t know anyone who enjoys being wrong. But changing your viewpoint or at least to be willing to listen and consider a different point of view is a step in the right direction of acting out of love. 

This is nothing new. We should be acting out of love regularly but this is a great time to reach out to others even if you don’t share the same view on many issues.

Reach out to others in your community to see how they are doing or if they need anything. 

Maybe it is a neighbor who can’t get to the grocery store for whatever reason. Your offer to pick up a gallon of milk and some bread may be what means that they have lunch the next day. 

Perhaps it is an organization which has seen an uptick is usage and a decrease in volunteers. A couple hours a month of your timor could mean the difference between staying open and being forced to close.

Or maybe it is a friend who you’ve lost contact with or doesn’t have family to check with them on a regular basis. Don’t underestimate that a simple card, phone call or even an email can lift up their spirits. 

There are plenty of opportunities to act out of love rather than righteousness. We just need to take that extra moment to be grateful for everything we have, to think before sharing a post or making a remark and to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes….even if they are white.