I remember show and tell assignments in school being those sometimes boring
presentations about what we did during our summer vacation. One thing was clear, the less
you had to show, the more telling you did. If all you had to show for a summer vacation was a
picture of you and Bigmama, you did a great deal of talking about the picture and not as much
time showing the picture itself.

Show and tell for me now is a technique that I use to teach descriptive writing because it
allows students to show their creativity. If students have more details to write about
something, it’s easier to spend time “painting the picture.” For example, rather than telling
people “it’s cold outside,” you show them how “the robust winter wind whistles through the
brittle tree limbs with just enough force to snap them in half.”

I even find myself thinking again about the concept of showing and telling as I look at
the influence of the chaotic MAGA movement on current Republican Party politics and more
specifically the 2024 presidential race. From supporting candidates and implementing laws
that are hostile to women as well as diversity, they’ve made it clear how they feel. What does
“show and tell” have to do with the current presidential race? Some candidates spend so
much telling us how they feel because they don’t have much to show. In other words, don’t
spend so much time telling me how mad you are about the government; show me what you
can do to make it better. MAGA candidates and Conservative Republicans were elected by
boldly proclaiming their desire to change government, however, now that they are in office,
they actually do more obstruction of government.

What I think is the truly sad part is many MAGA and Conservative Republicans claim to
be Christians. They swaddle their words in familiar verses of scripture, but their behavior
doesn’t reflect the truth of God’s word. For example, they continue to support a presidential
candidate that is a 34 times convicted felon and rapist with a nearly 50-year history of racist
and misogynistic words as well as actions. Yet, I Corinthians 5:11 says, “But now I am writing to
you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually
immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.”

For some, Republicans unyielding support seems to contradict the Bible. As followers
of Christ, we have to constantly ask ourselves are we spending more time telling others that we
are Christians or showing them we are Christians? As Christians, our ultimate goal is to lead
others to Christ; sometimes the best Christian witness is not what we say but what we do. It’s
about those little things that we do every day that allow others to see the Christ in us and point
them to Him.

Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to
Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of
Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter
@shewanda.