Who Is My Neighbor?

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
(Luke 10:25-37)

The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
(Leviticus 19:34) 

Ever since the election on November 8, my Facebook news feed has been inundated with posts related to various activities regarding the impending Trump administration. Some are legitimate news stories and some are biased opinion pieces. Regardless, there is a common thread in all of these posts - people are concerned, if not downright afraid, of what to expect come next January and beyond.

One of the recurring messages I'm seeing centers around the campaign promise/threat of Mr. Trump to register Muslims and/or ban their entry into this country. It is yet unclear exactly what this would look like, especially considering the constitutional hurdles it would have to overcome. Some say that it would only apply to immigrants from predominantly Islamic countries, in order to avoid the appearance of targeting Muslims. But Mr. Trump was quite adamant in his campaign that he is suspicious of all Muslims, since "obviously" only Muslim commit terrorist attacks (sarcasm intended). Since Islamophobia is alive and well in this country, he played on the fears of his followers, knowing that "Islam" and "Muslim" are highly charged buzzwords that will always garner a response.

Again, it's not clear exactly how this will play out, but I have seen a groundswell response already. People are not waiting until something happens before acting. There seems to be a growing sentiment that if some sort of national Muslim registry is enacted, that non-Muslims will voluntarily register as Muslims, both as a show of solidarity, and to gum up the process. I applaud their enthusiasm in trying to ward off a repeat of 1930s Germany, and agree that such a registry is a very dangerous first step in a long slippery slope of sequestering various people groups who do not fit in with this new administration's idea of who is a patriotic American.

After the Muslims, who is next? Hispanics? Gay and Lesbians? Transgendered persons? Union members? Democrats? Atheists? Anyone who remembers the horrific nightmare of Hitler's reign of terror is all too familiar with how these things play out.

In the passage from Luke above, we are reminded of the familiar story of the Good Samaritan: how a Jewish man was beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road; how members of the religious elite went out of their way to avoid him or offer assistance; and how a Samaritan man came along, dressed the man's wounds, took him to a safe place, and paid in advance for his care. Jesus told his listeners that the Samaritan proved himself to be a true neighbor of the Jewish man, even though these two cultures normally had nothing to do with each other. The Jews felt that the Samaritans were godless people because they didn't observe the Jewish traditions or worship God in the "proper" way. The Samaritans saw the Jews as self-righteous religious snobs who wanted to keep God all to themselves. There was no love lost between the two camps. Yet this one man, full of compassion and mercy, put aside his differences to help his neighbor, and has been held up as an example to us all for the last two millennia. Jesus specifically instructed us to "Go and do likewise."

The second passage from Leviticus makes it clear that God expected His people to treat the foreigners in their land as they would treat each other, reminding them that they were once foreigners in Egypt.

Both passages are especially poignant in light of this ongoing discussion about what to do with the "Muslim problem." It is my opinion that any proposed registry or ban on Muslims simply because they might possibly pose a threat to our national security is not only unconstitutional, but downright un-Christian. Whether they are singled out for their religion (a violation of the 1st Amendment), or because of their immigrant status (a violation of God's laws), there is no justifiable excuse for such extreme measures.

While Clarke and I live in a predominantly Hispanic area of the city, I have noticed an increase of Muslims over the past several years. In fact, there is a mosque less than a mile from our house, and numerous halal shops have sprung up in strip malls all around us. We regularly see many Muslims shopping at our favorite grocery store, going about their business just like the rest of us. I see peaceful people who seem to just want to live their lives and practice their religion in relative safety and security, free from harassment or interference from the government or others. These people are my neighbors.

I don't know if I would go so far as to register as a Muslim if that day comes; I am all too familiar with the law of unintended consequences. I feel that a much more effective course of action in response to such a nefarious plan is to make sure it never happens to begin with. In last week's post, I encouraged my readers to get involved with their elected representatives, voicing their disapproval of any proposals that would erode the basic human rights of Americans and our foreign guests. My best case scenario is that such a plan would get tied up in the courts and never see the light of day. Worst case scenario would probably be full on protests, civil disobedience and rebellion. As Christians, we cannot stand by and allow our government to treat another religion any differently than we would want to be treated ourselves.

One of the reasons why Hitler was so successful in rounding up the Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and other marginalized groups of people was because the Protestant churches sat idly by, thinking this was not their problem. We know better now. We know who our neighbors are, and what Jesus taught us. We will not remain silent this time.

On a final note, as we head into this week of Thanksgiving, it is my prayer that each one of us finds time to be truly grateful for all our blessings, including living in a country where we are allowed to dissent with those in power. May our voices never falter.

Have a very blessed and safe week.

Pastor David

Donald Trump, Meet Queen Esther

I've spent a great deal of time this past week thinking about the Presidential election and the fallout from it. Like many in America, I am reeling from the uncertainty that this election has fostered. Before I get into my assessment of the situation and outline a course of action, I want to revisit an ancient story that very much parallels what we're going through right now.

Enter Queen Esther. If you're not especially familiar with the story of Esther in the Old Testament, let me provide a brief synopsis:

Xerxes was the King of Persia during part of the 5th century BCE. He was an powerful ruler over a kingdom that stretched from northern Africa to India. Xerxes was extremely wealthy, self-absorbed, narcissistic, and out of touch with the common people. He had no qualms about replacing his wife when she no longer bowed to his demands. After going through a large number of young women, he finally settled on Esther, who was one of the Hebrew exiles in his kingdom (Xerxes did not know she was a Jew).

Xerxes did not appear to have much of an appetite for policy or governing, so he surrounded himself with powerful advisors who ran his kingdom for him. One of these was a man named Haman. It just so happens that Haman hated the Jews because they were foreigners, steeped in their customs and traditions, never really fitting in with the Persian culture. Haman had an agenda to wipe out the Jews, and deceptively convinced Xerxes to issue an irrevocable decree to deprive the Jews of their rights, possessions, and even their lives.

The Jews dispersed throughout the kingdom were thrown into a state of despair and terror as they realized their safety and comfort was about to be ripped from them. Esther 4:3 says, "In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes."

Esther's uncle Mordecai counseled her and told her that she alone could use her position of privilege to convince the King to alter the edict. He said that if she didn't, eventually someone else would come to the aid of the Jews, but that she would suffer the same fate as they were facing. So she rallied the local Jews to fast and pray for her, and she went to the King, begged for his mercy, and exposed the evil actions of Haman. Haman was summarily executed, and Mordecai was allowed to write a new edict in the King's name to turn the tables on those who wanted to annihilate the Jews. In the end, the Jews triumphed and were once again allowed to live in relative peace and safety.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of parallels in the story of Esther and what our country is now going through. We have just experienced the ugliest Presidential campaign in my lifetime, one in which the winner ran on a platform of hate, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism and ablism. Basically, anyone who is not a white, heterosexual, cis-gendered, able-bodied Christian male was fair game for Donald Trump's circus-like campaign. By all accounts, President-elect Trump is a very wealthy, powerful and narcissistic individual. He loves attention and being in the spotlight. He is the consummate circus barker - appealing to the base emotions of his followers, itching their ears with what they want to hear. But I don't believe he ever wanted to be President of the United States. I believe he just wanted to get elected as POTUS; that was the real goal - to win the biggest and most important contest in the world.

Because Donald Trump has little interest in governing (something he has zero experience doing), he is already surrounding himself with powerful lobbyists who have very specific agendas. Unfortunately, some of those agendas involve rolling back the progress we have made as a nation over the past several decades, and especially during the Obama administration. Governor Pence, the VP-elect, is rabidly homophobic and has a long record of doing everything in his power to strip the rights of LGBT citizens in his state of Indiana. There is no indication that he would do otherwise once he is a heart-beat away from the Presidency.

One of the ugliest results of this election is the fact that all of the rhetoric Mr. Trump spouted during his campaign has legitimized a certain constituency of citizens who have finally found a voice for all that they have felt for a very long time, but were stifled to express in an era of political correctness. These are the people who feel that the America they know and love is being eroded away by people who are not like themselves. It appears that they now feel comfortable (and justified) for doing and saying things that they couldn't get away with just a few short months ago. In their minds, their brand of racism, bigotry and homophobia has been validated by someone running for the highest office in the land. Trump has become their de facto savior. These people have wasted no time in making it quite clear that their idea of what America should be does not include anyone who is not white, heterosexual, and "Christian" (aka not a Muslim).

Daily we hear of new reports of verbal and physical attacks on people of color, Muslims, and members of the LGBT community. Rightfully so, these targeted marginalized groups are scared. I have read countless posts from my friends across the country expressing fear and despair at what they perceive to be very real threats to their safety and well-being. Friends in same-sex marriages are wondering if they will be forced to divorce. My LGBT, Black and Asian friends are living with a cloud of fear hanging over them, wondering what the coming days and months will bring. Anyone who tries to convince them that there is nothing to fear speaks from a position of privilege, and has no right to dismiss these concerns as invalid.

I think it is safe to say that we have a problem. But I also think it is safe to say that we are not helpless or hopeless in facing this problem. Here are my suggestions for what we do going forward:

Much like Esther, we need to mobilize the marginalized communities. Regardless of the labels we wear, we need to stand together as one to combat the forces of discrimination that seek to rob us of our God-given rights as citizens of this great nation. This includes rallying our allies who are in positions of privilege and who have no immediate concerns for their safety and well-being, but sympathize with our plight.

We need to get involved. One of the greatest disappointments for me regarding this election is the fact that nearly 50% of the eligible voters in this country did not bother to vote. This apathy resulted in roughly 1/4 of the voters deciding who the next POTUS will be. This is unacceptable in a country that is supposed to operate on democratic principles. We must encourage everyone to vote, especially in the 2018 mid-term elections, when we have the opportunity to shift the balance of power in both houses of Congress. It is bad enough that we have a two-party stranglehold on the federal government, but when one party runs both houses of Congress and the White House, we lose some of the checks and balances that our founding fathers so carefully crafted.

That involvement also includes staying in touch with our elected officials. Find out who your Senators and Representatives are, get on their mailing lists, write letters to them when you have concerns about upcoming legislation. Support watch-dog organizations who are committed to holding Congress and the President accountable for their actions. Stay informed and vigilant. Do your research and don't just accept anything you read on the internet or somebody's Facebook page.

Finally, stay safe. These are troubled times. I don't want to sound alarmist, but I don't want to ignore what's going on around us right now. Congregate in safe spaces; take an ally with you if you need to go someplace that might not be safe. Learn how to protect yourself. Misguided, angry people are feeling more emboldened than ever to see how far they can go in bullying and terrorizing the "others". But most of all, don't give in to fear - the greatest tool any terrorist possesses. If you are a Christ-follower, have faith that God is going to work it all out on His timetable and in His way as we do our part.

And for those of you saying that you're going to move to Canada - just stop it. We will not give up our way of life because of bullies. This country would not exist if our founding fathers and mothers gave up that easily. They stood their ground and prevailed, knowing that the outcome would be worth any personal sacrifice necessary. If we leave, the bullies win.

Above all, know that you are loved, no matter what label(s) you may wear. We are all God's children, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

I may share more next week, but I think this is enough for now. Have a blessed and peaceful week.

Pastor David

What Would Jesus Scream?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
John 3:16-17

On Friday evening, Clarke and I decided to check out First Friday, a monthly event in the downtown Phoenix arts district where hundreds of businesses - restaurants, galleries, bars, and other retailers - stay open throughout the evening to attract people who might otherwise never visit them. In addition, there are numerous food trucks, street entertainers, and a myriad of vendors (we bought some local raw honey). And then there were the street "evangelists".

Ah yes, the street evangelists. They were everywhere, trying to capitalize on the throngs of people meandering their way up and down the streets and through the various venues. Bullhorns and karaoke boxes abounded, and almost without exception, the messages being screamed at the crowds were unsettling, even for those of us who follow Jesus.

Maybe unsettling isn't the right word. More like embarrassing. These supposedly well-meaning souls were turning the gospel of Christ into a circus. But not the fun kind, like the ones we used to look forward to attending when we were kids. This was the kind of circus that has the scary clowns that give you nightmares. Seriously, over and over we heard variations of a message that sounded something like this:

"You're all sinners. Unless you repent, you're going to hell. If you don't have a relationship with Jesus, you're not okay. You're lost and doomed. The wages of sin is death. The end is near."

Not once did we hear about the love of God, who sent Jesus to redeem us and give us eternal life. There was nothing attractive about these shrill messages. They were full of fear and condemnation. Apparently these folks seem to have missed the part of the Nicodemus discourse (John 3) where we're told that Jesus didn't come into the world to condemn us.

I understand that there is a brand of "evangelism" that supports what these street preachers were doing, but it has never been proven effective. Sure, some people may fall under conviction out of fear or guilt, but they usually walk away from the faith just as quickly because they were drawn to it for all the wrong reasons.

Not once in the gospels or the rest of the New Testament do we find any examples of people being bullied and berated into following Jesus. The message of Christ has always been one of attraction, not fear and compulsion. Jesus and his disciples loved people into the kingdom by building personal relationships with them, not screaming at them on the street corners.

In the Old Testament, the standard practice of the prophets was to stand on the street corners and shout out their warnings to the people. With the exception of Jonah, this never proved effective. The people ignored these preachers and scoffed at them. Most of them were viewed as crazy or fanatics, and most of them were martyred as a result. You would think Christians thousands of years later would get a clue and see that this was not an effective way to spread God's message to the lost.

It has been demonstrated over and over that the best way to reach people for Christ is to meet them where they are, understand where they are on their spiritual journey (and everyone is on some spiritual journey, whether they know it or not), and then gently show them that life with Jesus is desirable. Salvation was never meant to be fire insurance, but rather the access point to a life of grace, peace and joy, where we can have full fellowship with our Creator.

The gospel (literally "good news") has always been about invitation. If you are going to throw a party, you wouldn't think of standing outside the nearest 7-11 and yell at everyone who passes by "Hey you, ugly person! Come to my party or else bad things will happen to you!" I imagine people would think you've lost your mind. You might provide some entertainment with your antics, but I'm pretty sure you won't have to worry about running out of chips and dip at your party.

Why would anyone think that inviting people to Christ in such a manner would be well-received? Jesus told us to not be stumbling blocks for those who are trying to find their way into the kingdom (Matthew 18:6-7). I fear that most of these preachers were being stumbling blocks to the people that heard them screaming these messages of fear and condemnation. I could see the looks on the faces of people as they walked by, snickering or rolling their eyes. Clarke and I cringed every time we heard one of them, knowing the damage they were doing to the gospel message.

I suppose that if Jesus was to show up at the next First Friday event, He would shout something more like this:

"Hey, beautiful person. I love you and want to fill your life with wonderful blessings. If you are willing to be my friend, great things will happen to you and you will have an amazing spiritual journey. Come along, there's always room for one more in my Father's family."
 
Have a blessed week!
Pastor David