Turn this image upside down, and look well therein, and thou shalt find two members or limbs of envy and anger fastened thereto, with several branches springing out of them, which hinder the love and charity which thou oughtest to have toward thy neighbour. The branches of these two sins are these: Hatred, evil suspicion, false and rash or unskilful judging, melancholy, risings of heart against them, despising, unkindness, and backbiting, or other ill-speaking of them, misliking, unskilful or causeless blaming of them, misconstruing their words or deeds, anguish and heaviness against those that despise us, or speak any evil of us, or speak against us, a joy or gladness at their pain, a selfness or bitterness against sinful men and others that will not do as we think they should do, with great desire and eagerness of heart (under colour of charity and justice), that they were well punished and chastised for their sin. (John Climacus)

Reading this description of envy and anger, uninvited I thought this is what I hear and see in so much of American political "discussion."

Rather than engage and try to reach mutual understanding, we envy our adversaries and in anger attempt to destroy them.

It is not surprising to find "selfness" in political life and there has always been unkindness, backbiting, and ill-speaking. We misconstrue - purposefully or not - from our own weakness.

But I do not see why our disagreements must end, if not also begin, in hatred, evil suspicion, false and rash or unskilful judging.

We need not wait for death to experience our just reward for engaging our neighbors with such attitudes.

The image is the cover of a recent book by Glenn Beck.