All For One

Galatians 3:23-29New International Version (NIV)

Children of God

23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

I’ve had about a week to reflect on the shooting spree that took place at Pulse Night Club and my heart breaks nearly as much for the attitude of this country as it does for the victims of that disgraceful act.  About 40% of the country thinks we have Muslims to blame and about another 40% thinks guns are to blame.  The remaining 10-20% is like me sitting here in the middle listening to both sides trying to get them to listen to each other.  I feel like a five foot nothing WWF official standing between the Rock and Stone Cold trying to break up a fight outside the ring.  They stand there nose to nose questioning each other and doubting their intentions and I just want them to back up.  I am doing my best to keep them separated but they quickly overmatch me and their yelling just gets louder and louder and louder.  We are so divided and filled with a general lack of respect for one another and it is easier today than ever to let everyone know it too.  We post these memes to social media and don’t even fact check them first.  I saw one the other day about Hillary Clinton that said she laughed when the criminal she represented as a lawyer was only given probation for sexually assaulting a 12 year old.  A horrific crime no doubt but I wanted to check the accuracy of this claim because I thought there is no way anyone would laugh at something like this.  Well, it turns out she did laugh... but it was a completely different part of the interview, not where this meme had given her credit for laughing.  I’m pretty sure I won’t vote for her but if she does become president I will respect her in that office.  In President Obama’s tenure as president I have learned a very valuable lesson that was too naive or stubborn or ignorant to learn until now.  I honestly believe everyone who has been president of the United States has done what they feel is best for the country while leading it.  Now, these people are human and they have undoubtedly made mistakes while being president but I think they are trying to do what they think is best.  The problem is that we do not agree with their best so it has to be wrong.

On the other hand, a very left leaning pastor friend of mine posts several things that I don’t agree with.  In the past, posts like these would make me angry and I would have to comment on them but now they just make me just as disappointed in our society as the false meme about Hillary Clinton.  She posted something written by a gentlemen who claims he is “dropping a little truth on y’all.”  While some of what it said was correct, many of the stanzas or phrases ended something like this: “you’re not smart” or “probably not someone I want to hang out with” or “Anyone who tells you that climate change is not real is not a smart person and probably should not be dressing themselves or caring for children” or “you sound stupid” or “you are not a nice person” or “you can’t do math anyway”.  Like I said, some of the points the gentleman made were valid but then hurls insults at those who don’t agree.  I guess I don’t get it.  No matter what you believe, or where you fall politically, we are all children of God.  There is neither Gentile nor Jew, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female.  In fact, another friend of mine told me the other day that she invited her daughter’s friend to church camp but her parents wouldn’t allow the little girl to go because “they don’t believe in denominations....”  So I assumed they must have not been religious and didn’t feel like sending the girl to camp would unfairly sway her one way or the other.  A position I don’t agree with but that’s definitely their right.  So I asked my friend if this were the case.  I was wrong.  They didn’t believe in denominations because they belong to a non-denominational church.  I laughed hysterically for two reasons:  A) A non-denomination is a denomination that doesn’t currently fit the mold of any particular denomination but is probably closer to Disciples of Christ than they realize.  And B) I was so surprised/shocked/stunned at the level of ignorance in their comment.  To be honest, I am becoming less and less shocked at this level of ignorance though because I feel like we live in it every day.  It is like the Baptist preacher from California who said “The tragedy is that more of them didn’t die” when talking about the Pulse nightclub shooting.  Really?!  The church is a place where we are called to help those in need.  It is not a place for a pastor to blast off about their racial, ethnic, or homophobic rhetoric.  In response to a comment like that, others will say to me but it’s ok for them to throw homosexuality and race in my face but I can’t do it to them?  No, that’s not the point either.

“For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  When I was in high school, Jennie, Michael, Jayme and I lead a group of other classmates in an event called “We Are One” where we brought together people from several different churches to worship together.  It was a cool event and was well attended.  I regret not doing more with it and perhaps there could have been a little less dissension, ignorance and hate in our part of the world.  However, I do carry with me the success of that day as a hope that we can someday get that way a society.  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither Catholic nor Methodist, neither Lutheran nor Calvin, neither non-denomination nor DoC.  Like, why can’t we get this?  What is so difficult for us to understand?  Why?  Am I a little wishy-washy on some of my beliefs.  Yes, because I don’t have them all figured out and those beliefs will never suit every situation of my life.  I support a little bit of gun control but I still think responsible people should own them and be able to purchase them.  I am pro-life but I think we should respect the choices and circumstances of others.  Socially, I lean left and fiscally I lean right.  I do my best to see different sides of an argument before jumping to conclusion.  I try not to judge but I still do.  I try to not to racially or socially profile but I still do.  We have to stand for something or we will fall for anything right?  Well, I do stand for something.  I stand for the respect of all peoples, races, and religions.  I stand for helping those in need.  I stand for the fact that we have a responsibility to be a light upon a hill and make disciples of all nations.  We are called to show others the way to God’s grace and love.  Posting false memes, calling people stupid, telling others they shouldn’t care for children because their understanding of the world is different than yours, and perpetrating a society of hate and fear is not what we are called to do.  Do I have to worry about things that I used to not have to worry about?  Yes.  Is that fair? No.  But I refuse to to let that unfairness lead to fear and hatred for me and my kids.  We are human, we make mistakes.  Cut each other some slack and find the best in one another.  We need less Westboro Baptist Church and more Greg Zanis.  A man who built white crosses for the victims of the nightclub shooting and he has done so since the 1970’s.  He has created about 12,000 of these memorials and has  helped people to grieve and heal among tragedy.  I close with this great quote from Rick Warren, “Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them.  The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do.  You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”  You don’t have to compromise your convictions but please, please find some compassion.  Amen.