I confess, my heart is troubled. The political posturing in our country has reached a new level of incivility and I fear for the nation we are becoming. White nationalism has been paraded on the public stage and given a new level of validation. The teachings of Jesus have been distorted and discarded in the unholy name of political power and expediency.
In times like this, we need to bring in the moral compass of Christ to the public square to reset political policies and discourse.
Jesus tells all who follow him:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 NRSV)
We who follow Jesus cannot opt out of the command to love, even those we consider our enemies.
Love doesn’t mock those with whom we disagree, nor does it demean, belittle, or bully, because love makes us aware that these things dehumanize others and fracture the human family.
Love doesn’t create borders or barriers that separate “us” from “them”.
Love demands us to go to the margins and begin to build structure and policies from that starting point.
Love always asks, “who is being harmed and what must we do to relieve the suffering”?
Love doesn’t fear those who are not familiar but delights in difference, knowing that these differences help us see the face of God more clearly.
Love puts us on a permanent quest for right relationships.
Love is the opposite of fear.
Love isn’t a naïve or weak orientation. It takes tremendous strength, courage, and humility to walk in the world grounded in love’s imperative.
If you find your heart breaking over the state of the world, may you drink from the reservoir of God’s grace so that you might find Love healing your heart and guiding your feet to challenge the world’s inequities and injustices.
If you are afraid because the comfort you are experiencing might be disrupted, may the Holy Spirit trouble placid waters and in the ripples created may Love help you discover that your welfare is intimately tied to the welfare others.
If you would rather turn away from the state of things, may Christ continue to be a disruptive presence who will tap you on the shoulder and say, “Come, follow me.” As you step into His footsteps, may Love grow in your heart and may it spill into the world, providing a transforming experience for all you encounter.
Love is the only way. May we live it boldly.
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