Invitation to Civil Discourse: the Flag

Of course one young man with one gun made the decision to kill nine people at Mother Emanuel. He is responsible for that action and will suffer the consequences of his decision.

BUT if we stop there, we are in denial and perpetuate the lies BECAUSE:

1)      It is about the flag. That flag is a symbol, and symbols are powerful. Think cross for Christians, Star of David for Jews, and crescent moon for Muslims. That flag is a symbol of racial prejudice, hatred, and treason. It was raised on the grounds of the capitol in defiance of Brown vs the Board of Education. To claim it is about culture and heritage is delusional. What “heritage” are we proud of? Enslavement of human beings? Hundreds of lynchings of Black people? One in five children going to bed hungry at night? One in four children suffering abuse each day? Secession and treason? This flag belongs in a museum and in history books that accurately explain its purpose.

2)      It is about fundamentalist Christianity, ignorant of the cultural context in which the Bible was written. Holy war and the book of Revelation are some of the most violent literature ever written. Fundamentalists use it for their anti-scientific tirades, anti-feminist prejudice, homophobia, anti-intellectual denials of scientific progress, racial prejudice, opposition to marriage equality, and denial of our responsibility for social justice. They focus on ego-centric, individual salvation and ignore the clear moral admonitions of Micah, Jesus, and James. It cannot be said more clearly: love mercy, do justice, walk humbly with God, love your neighbor, faith without works is dead. These are active verbs, not weak suggestions. Abraham Heschel, the great American Jewish scholar said that if there is a future for the Judaeo-Christian tradition in this country, it rests within the Black church.

3)      It is about the lies perpetrated in the South about the Civil War. Yes, the causes were multiple, but at its heart was the question of slavery. “States rights” is code for racial prejudice and the desire to enslave people of color. It was treason to separate from a Union forged in blood and intended to be a beacon of light and hope, under the motto that “all men (humankind) are created equal.” The founders were not perfect, but they had a vision and a dream that challenges us everyday. The South tried to deny that, and thankfully, with Lincoln’s change of heart and vision for this country, it was not successful.

This nation needs healing. Mother Emanuel is leading the way. Removing the flag is one step. SANE gun laws and accurate history are others. Let’s all rededicate ourselves to being part of the solution, carefully guarding our words and deeds.

Love your enemies

Over the weekend a dear friend asked a hard question. Noting that Jesus is quoted in Matthew 5 as saying that we are to love our neighbor, he went on to note that Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” Really?  How and why am I supposed to love my enemies? All they want is to do me harm? My friend’s question challenged me to rethink some easy assumptions.

The quote comes from the “Sermon on the Mount” and requires careful reading. Jesus begins by saying, “You have heard it said you should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” We need to stop here and acknowledge that (1) Jesus is not quoting Jewish scripture with “hate your enemy.” (2)That phrase/command is NOT in the Tanak. Neither do the Rabbis ever teach hatred of enemies. The origin of the statement has puzzled scholars for years. Whatever the source and for whatever reason the author of Matthew included the phrase, it is important to acknowledge the significance and impact of the next statement. “But I say to you, love your enemy.”

To begin to understand what it means to love our enemies, we must wrestle with who is our neighbor and what it means to love them. It sounds easy but Jesus was sneaky! Read the parable of the “Good Samaritan” in Luke 10: 29-37. I’ll spare you the details, but the one hurt was a Jew and the one who showed mercy was the despised Samaritan [think black/white, Christian/Muslim, Fox/ABC].  Who was the neighbor? Not the privileged, smug, well off who walked by on the other side. It was the one who showed mercy. How do I love my neighbor today? By showing mercy---feeding the hungry [anybody can give a bag of food], providing medical care to the sick [getting a little harder], working for social justice in the face of homophobia and excessive, unwarranted police brutality, refusing to carry a gun to the mall, church, or school [now I’ve gone to meddling, but at least think about it]. Loving the neighbor, the one in need, isn’t always easy.

But what about loving the enemy? The ugly, dirty, vulgar, rude, angry, violent, “different”? In today’s language the enemy is the “other.” Sometimes that enemy wants to harm me, but I don’t think I’m just supposed to throw up my hands in surrender. I think loving and responding to the enemy begins with intentional love and concern for the “other,” recognizing that they are human [even ISIS, rogue cops, moneyed manipulators, fill in the blanks[  with shared dreams, desires, and needs. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with them, but it does mean that we do not demonize one another. Responsible, restrained defense—yes. Generous, aggressive, nonviolent engagement—yes.

Jesus, quoting his scripture, said to love God, neighbor, self, and added enemy. He didn’t say to pick and choose. I take his words as categorical imperatives, not suggestions if it’s convenient.

Love your enemies

Over the weekend a dear friend asked a hard question. Noting that Jesus is quoted in Matthew 5 as saying that we are to love our neighbor, he went on to note that Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” Really?  How and why am I supposed to love my enemies? All they want is to do me harm? My friend’s question challenged me to rethink some easy assumptions.

The quote comes from the “Sermon on the Mount” and requires careful reading. Jesus begins by saying, “You have heard it said you should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” We need to stop here and acknowledge that (1) Jesus is not quoting Jewish scripture with “hate your enemy.” (2)That phrase/command is NOT in the Tanak. Neither do the Rabbis ever teach hatred of enemies. The origin of the statement has puzzled scholars for years. Whatever the source and for whatever reason the author of Matthew included the phrase, it is important to acknowledge the significance and impact of the next statement. “But I say to you, love your enemy.”

To begin to understand what it means to love our enemies, we must wrestle with who is our neighbor and what it means to love them. It sounds easy but Jesus was sneaky! Read the parable of the “Good Samaritan” in Luke 10: 29-37. I’ll spare you the details, but the one hurt was a Jew and the one who showed mercy was the despised Samaritan [think black/white, Christian/Muslim, Fox/ABC].  Who was the neighbor? Not the privileged, smug, well off who walked by on the other side. It was the one who showed mercy. How do I love my neighbor today? By showing mercy---feeding the hungry [anybody can give a bag of food], providing medical care to the sick [getting a little harder], working for social justice in the face of homophobia and excessive, unwarranted police brutality, refusing to carry a gun to the mall, church, or school [now I’ve gone to meddling, but at least think about it]. Loving the neighbor, the one in need, isn’t always easy.

But what about loving the enemy? The ugly, dirty, vulgar, rude, angry, violent, “different”? In today’s language the enemy is the “other.” Sometimes that enemy wants to harm me, but I don’t think I’m just supposed to throw up my hands in surrender. I think loving and responding to the enemy begins with intentional love and concern for the “other,” recognizing that they are human [even ISIS, rogue cops, moneyed manipulators, fill in the blanks[  with shared dreams, desires, and needs. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with them, but it does mean that we do not demonize one another. Responsible, restrained defense—yes. Generous, aggressive, nonviolent engagement—yes.

Jesus, quoting his scripture, said to love God, neighbor, self, and added enemy. He didn’t say to pick and choose. I take his words as categorical imperatives, not suggestions if it’s convenient.