Dwell On It: How to love "Them"

Question: How should I address someone who claims to be a believer but rather than sharing love and kindness with those they disagree with, that person generally shows judgment and anger?
 
Answer: Since the person claims to follow Jesus, you can sit down with them in a relaxed setting (coffee shop, living room, etc.) and explain that you’ve noticed that they seem angry and judgmental with those they don’t agree with and ask them why? Maybe they don’t realize they are coming off that way or they flat out disagree. But approaching it through a conversation and staying calm and relaxed while letting them know you love them and you are just trying to understand where they are coming from is a way to go.
 
Also, it is really easy to show judgment and anger towards others when we don’t understand something about them. But when we know their name and their story, instead of knowing them as “that person”, “part of that group”, etc. they become human to us and it is easier to show love and kindness. In a situation like this, maybe simply asking them what did Jesus do when he talked to people who disagreed with him? Did he cast them off because of their lifestyle or did he love them enough to spend time with them and get to know them? It’s really difficult to keep a level of dislike for someone when there is a personal connection.

This issue is usually a heart and discipleship issue. Maybe they aren’t actually following Jesus but rather just going to church and looking like a “good Christian”. Or maybe they are following Jesus, but they are very young spiritually and don’t have the maturity to see all people as Jesus does. Either way, this scenario usually points to an issue of the heart; which either means they don’t know Jesus or aren’t being discipled to be more like Jesus.