Dear Compassionate Christian, You Are Not Alone

Hi. I want you to know that if you are a Christian who is distraught over the way other Christians, as a group, are responding to current events, you are not alone. If you believe that love is the way forward, not hate, you’re in good company. If you believe in the separation between church and state, you’re not the only one.

It’s a pretty hard time nowadays for most people. We are in the middle of a pandemic, unemployment is skyrocketing, and people are getting sick and dying everywhere. Racism that has existed for a very long time is now finally getting confronted in a more mainstream way, but progress seems so slow and distant. People are getting killed, people are protesting. Everyone is arguing over whether we should wear masks or not. Logging onto social media or listening to the news today can feel like just asking to get punched in the gut with bad news, or with people being mean.

Christians are not exactly responding to this well. In fact, I would say that overall, as a broadly generalized group, Christians are responding POORLY.

Too many Christians are rationalizing and justifying the unjustifiable, including their own passivity. Children and families at our southern border are being kept in inhumane conditions and many Christians say, “It’s their own fault for breaking the law” (even though many have never broken the law). We have a President who is now the world’s most powerful bully, and many align themselves with his agenda saying that “Since God is sovereign over elections, this all must be God’s will, so I won’t publicly stand against anything this administration does. I will show my trust in God by keeping calm, and carrying on.”

For many Christians, fear is winning the war on love.

We are ALL very good at finding ways to rationalize doing what we really want to do. For many Christians in the US, fear is winning the war on love. Passivity is rationalized by saying “God is in control.” “Jesus is the only way to change all the social problems we face, so I won’t support governmental programs to help the poor or marginalized.” The hardest one for me to digest is “We all get what we deserve, so if I have something, it’s because I earned it (and did not benefit from white privilege/male privilege, etc). If someone else doesn’t have something, it’s because they haven’t worked hard enough.” Aren’t we supposed to be humble, knowing that even our very breath is a gift from God that we cannot will into being? Aren’t we supposed to spend ourselves on behalf of those less fortunate, to give to the poor and needy?

Be the change you want to see.

Anyway. If you are as frustrated and confused as I am, I just want you to know that you are not alone. Keep shining brightly. Do not be afraid. The Bible never changes, but culture within the church surely does. Be the change you want to see.

Here are some verses that are encouraging me today:

For judgement is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.

James 2:13 ESV

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 sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:43-45 ESV